Colonias fear NL fire[Mexican border arsonists]

LAREDO MORNING TIMES ^ | 10/26/2007 | MIGUEL TIMOSHENKOV

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Residents of Rio Bravo and El Cenizo are concerned about the escalating grass fires in Nuevo Laredo, which fire officials there say have been intentionally set.Warnings have been issued to residents with respiratory problems, urging them to stay indoors because of the heavy smoke drifting across the Rio Grande.

Fears that flying sparks might start fires in the two Webb County cities, which have many structures made of wood, may have been realized late Thursday when a small home went up in flames. No major injuries were reported.

"We have alerted the people about this emergency to help avoid health problems," said Eloy Vega, spokesman for the Laredo Fire Department. "The smoke is coming from Neuvo Laredo and we have been monitoring it since Wednesday."

Thursday morning, Nuevo Laredo Fire Chief Juan Trujillo said two more fires had been started in addition to the five reported Wednesday. The two new grass fires were near property owned by Nuevo Laredo Mayor Daniel Peña Treviño and Traffic Director Sergio Mora, generally south of the Sister City and across from the two colonias on the U.S. side.

El Cenizo Mayor Raúl Reyes said families in his city have been watching the fires in California that have forced numerous evacuations and destroyed many homes. El Cenizo and Rio Bravo residents are worried that could happen here.

Reyes said he has put the city's volunteer firefighters on alert.

In Rio Bravo, city official Manuel Arnero said the city had received many phone calls about the smoke that could clearly be seen on the U.S. side of the Rio Grande. As in El Cenizo, residents feared the fire was close at hand and was threatening their homes on the U.S. side.

"The truth is that while the heavy smoke gives the impression that the fire is in our jurisdiction, an investigation showed that it was on the Mexican side," Arnero said.

"We have been telling citizens not to be afraid, that the Rio Grande is a natural barrier and, at least for now, we're safe," he added.

Juany Pérez, El Cenizo's city secretary, also said that residents' fears seem to stem from the fires they are seeing in California.

"The recommendations that the Laredo Fire Department are making are important because they help us better explain the risks to our community," he said.

For his part, Nuevo Laredo Fire Chief Trujillo said firefighters had been successful in extinguishing several of the blazes before they could cause any serious damage. Others were under control by late Thursday.

None of his firefighters were injured, he said, although they were exhausted by the intense battle.

Trujillo said police are continuing their investigation into the fires, which he said were definitely arson.

(To reach Miguel Timoshenkov, call 728-2583 or e-mail timo1@lmtonline.com)

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"Fears that flying sparks might start fires in the two Webb County cities, which have many structures made of wood, may have been realized late Thursday when a small home went up in flames. No major injuries were reported."

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