Mexico asks US, Canada for help with border fires

MEXICO CITY: The Mexican government is asking for help from the United States and Canada to put out two large fires in an area close to the border with Texas.Mexican Environment Secretary Juan Elvira Quesada tells The Associated Press that the fires are about 60 miles (100 kilometers) from the border and are spreading aggressively to the southeast, away from the border.Elvira said Monday that he sent a letter to the U.S. Embassy asking for heavy tanker airplanes that can unload fire retardants. Mexico also requested aid from Quebec.Mexican Environment Department spokesman Ruben Romero said that fires had spread over nearly 245,000 acres (99,000 hectares) of pastureland and desert vegetation in several townships of the northern state of Coahuila by Monday afternoon. – Yahoonews