New Mexico requests federal fire recovery aid

New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham says she is requesting recovery funds from the federal government for wildfires in the state before the fires have been extinguished.

Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, New Mexico said "We have been working feverishly and we are going to be the very first state in the nation to have a presidential declaration accepted and signed by the president, unlocking all of these resources for watershed recovery, restoration of all of those wild lands and personal direct financial reparation and assistance before the fire is out and we are submitting this today. The president is very clear that that is coming and we have every indication that will be the first state to be able to advance this request and unlock these resources for New Mexicans."

 Wind-whipped flames are marching across more of New Mexico's tinder-dry mountainsides, forcing the evacuation of area residents and dozens of patients from the state's psychiatric hospital as firefighters scramble to keep new wildfires from growing. The big blaze burning near the community of Las Vegas has charred more than 217 square miles.