By Roger Lanse

According to Silver City Fire Department Chief Milo Lambert, Tuesday, May 9, 2023, at about 11:45 a.m., the department rolled one brush truck a few feet to the edge of the ditch on the south side of the Public Safety Building and "hosed down" a hot fire in some cottonwood duff. "That cottonwood cotton is like gas," Lambert said. "We already had a truck on scene before we knew a fire had started next door. We had it completely out in about 30 minutes."

It seems the cause of the fire was someone smoking, Lambert told the Beat. No damage to structures or injuries were reported.