ALTO, N.M.?Strong winds on Sunday spread a grass and timber fire that had already burned through at least 30 homes in southern New Mexico, and a second fire spreading from an Indian reservation forced the evacuation of 200 people.

Wind gusts of 50 mph carried the fire that burned through homes in the Kokopelli subdivision, in a heavily forested mountain resort where homes are worth up to $1 million.

Gov. Gary Johnson said it appeared to be accidental, caused by “ashes out of fireplace that got dumped in the back yard.”

The governor also said up to 1,300 people were evacuated in the Ruidoso area. Local fire officials said some 150 homes had been evacuated.

About 20 miles northeast at the town of Hondo, 200 people were told to evacuate as a fire that started on the Mescalero Apache Reservation grew to 16,000 acres overnight and threatened homes, state police said.