HAH CEO Eddie Crain, seen here with a staff member, will be at the upcoming Chamberfest (booth #27) near the post office. He welcomes all veterans and first responders to visit the HAH booth and talk about their FREE programs. Courtesy photo

STATE News:

On Sunday, May 25, afternoon, a campfire broke out near Fort Stanton, NM, where the Healing America’s Heroes (HAH) facility is located. HAH is the nonprofit organization serving disabled veterans and first responders (www.healingamericasheroes.org). The fire quickly burnt over 360 acres within hours, and all residents in Fort Stanton were required to evacuate. Swift responses from firefighters, hotshot crews, and local emergency response teams led to the gradual containment of the fire, and on Wednesday, May 28, some roads were reopened. Eddie (the HAH President who lives in the HAH facility) and all 12 horses were able to return home safely. On Monday, June 2, the U.S. Bureau of Land Management announced that the campfire was 100% contained. The fire has burned 877 acres, the cause of the fire remains under investigation.

Although the HAH buildings at Fort Stanton were not damaged by fire, the horse facilities were damaged and need repair. To put out fires around the HAH facility, firefighters and emergency response teams removed horse gates and cut horse fences to create a path. The fire also destroyed trees and bushes on the 70 acres site, resulting in many fallen tree branches and debris that need to be cleaned up. HAH will begin repairing the gates and fences in June and continue with cleaning up the site.