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Sleep-Deprived Firefighters Battle Another New Mexico Fire

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

NATALIE ALLEN, CNN ANCHOR: In northern New Mexico, another big fire expanded overnight, and today it covers more than 20,000 acres in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains.

We have a report of a fire and a fight to contain it from Rosalinda Roman of CNN affiliate KOAT.

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ROSALINDA ROMAN, KOAT REPORTER (voice-over): Crack of dawn in the beautiful mountain village of Pecos lies blanketed in a smoky veil. It's a community with no sleep as fire creeps ever closer.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The flames were pretty high yesterday. I would say about 100 feet, 100 feet in the air.

ROMAN: Perhaps no one is more exhausted than those who have been going head to head with the flames, firefighters keeping a constant vigil on the fire line.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Twenty-two hours from the night until the morning, until the next day.

ROMAN: Sleep deprived, they stop for a cup of coffee before going back to battle the blaze. They all hope for the best, but since the fire tripled overnight, they expect the worst.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Erratic winds, plume-dominated fire. It's going to be kind of rough out there for most of the guys.

ROMAN: And their sacrifices don't go unnoticed. All around town, people like Dolores Valencia (ph) are doing their part to keep the crew fed and their spirits high.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We are making 250 ham and turkey sandwiches for the firefighters. They just come in and they say thanks, and they're really nice, polite.

ROMAN: A small gesture perhaps, but very much appreciated by the men and women on the front lines.

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ROMAN: And at this point, firefighters say they'll take all the help they can get because Mother Nature is definitely not on their side. They definitely have a fight on their hands. But the good news is they are getting backups. In fact, 1,200 firefighters are expected to be here to fight this blaze by the end of the day.

Reporting live from Pecos, Rosalinda Roman.

Back to you, Natalie.

ALLEN: Rosalinda, thank you.

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