NM forest fire updates: Evacuations, smoke conditions and containment statuses

Elizabeth Tucker , Albuquerque Journal, N.M.
·4 min read

Aug. 10—Fire season is in full swing as crews work to contain multiple fires, mostly sparked by lightning, across the state.

The only fire with evacuations is the Black Feather Fire, started by a lightning strike in the San Pedro Wilderness on the Santa Fe National Forest, 12 miles northeast of Cuba, Saturday afternoon.

The estimated 2,500-acre fire is 0% contained, said the New Mexico Forestry Division in a release.

Multiple agencies are working together to suppress the fire and evacuate communities. Mesa Poleo and Mesa Pinabetal have been put under a SET evacuation status, the release stated. The community of Wetheral has been put on READY status by the Rio Arriba County Sheriff's Office.

A community meeting about the fire is being held at 7 p.m. Tuesday, the meeting will be held at the Coronado High School in Gallina, NM, but it will also be livestreamed on the Black Feather Fire Facebook page.

The smoke outlook is good in Albuquerque, updates for Taos, Grants, the Albuquerque Metro, Farmington, Chama, Socorro, Santa Fe and Reserve can be found at outlooks.airfire.org.

State fires:

Hart Canyon Fire:

START: Lightning strike, 1:30 p.m. Aug. 9

LOCATION: Colfax County, north of Philmont Scout Ranch

PERSONNEL: 76 personnel are currently assigned to the fire, including three hand crews, six engines, two bulldozers and air resources

CONTAINMENT: 15 to 20 acres; 0% contained

EVACUATIONS/CLOSURES: Campers and livestock from the nearest Philmont backcountry camps are being evacuated

Sunset Fire

START: Lightning strike, Aug. 5

LOCATION: South of Highway 70 between Capitan and Roswell

PERSONNEL: 50 responders are engaged, including two hand crews, air attack and multiple engines from local and state resources

CONTAINMENT: Down from 325 acres to 133.6 acres; 50% contained

EVACUATIONS/CLOSURES: No evacuations or road closures

West Fire

START: Lightning strike, Aug. 1

LOCATION: Double H Ranch, west of Magdalena

CONTAINMENT: Approximately 200 acres; 0% contained

PERSONNEL: 12 responders are engaged, including one hand crew and three engines

EVACUATIONS/CLOSURES: There are no evacuations or road closures

Federal Fires

West Fork Fire

START: Lightning strike, Aug. 7

LOCATION: San Juan County, northwest of Navajo Dam

CONTAINMENT: Estimated at 42 acres; 34% contained

PERSONNEL: Bureau of Land Management and San Juan County Fire Department are responding. 72 total responders are engaged, and resources include five engines, one fire use module and one type-2 hand crew.

EVACUATIONS/CLOSURES: There are no evacuations or road closures. However, the fire is in the vicinity of oil and gas well pads.

American Mesa Fire

START: Lightning strike, Aug. 8

LOCATION: Jicarilla Ranger District of the Carson National Forest

CONTAINMENT: 756 acres; 25% contained

PERSONNEL: 160 personnel are engaged in response. This includes 4 engines and 3 hand crews

EVACUATIONS/CLOSURES: There are no evacuations

Dolan Fire

START: July 30

LOCATION: About 15 miles northwest of Winston

CONTAINMENT: Estimated 3,400 acres; containment N/A

PERSONNEL: resources include one smokejumper module, one wildland fire module and one engine.

EVACUATIONS/CLOSURES: There are no evacuations or road closures

Prior Fire

START: July 26,complex fire being managed as a natural part of the ecosystem

LOCATION: Approximately 8.5 miles northwest of the Gila Cliff Dwellings.

CONTAINMENT: 12,772 acres

PERSONNEL: 42 personnel assigned. Crews will continue to work on the trail system to keep the fire within a designated area of the wilderness

EVACUATIONS/CLOSURES: There are no evacuations or road closures. However, trail closures are in effect

Divide Fire

START: Lightning strike, July 13

LOCATION: N/A

CONTAINMENT: 26,514 acres; 94% contained

PERSONNEL: 85 responders are engaged, including three engines, one hand crew, one ambulance, one dozer and twe water tenders.

EVACUATIONS/CLOSURES: There are no evacuations or road closures

Porcupine Fire

START: Lightning strike Aug. 3

LOCATION: Gila Wilderness, approximately 18 miles west of the Beaverhead Work Station

CONTAINMENT: 3,244 acres; 40% contained

PERSONNEL: Most of the original resources were moved to the Turkey and American Mesa fires, remaining responders are moving supplies and trash out of the backcountry

EVACUATIONS/CLOSURES: There are no evacuations or road closures

Pasture Fire

START: Lightning strike, July 23

LOCATION: In the North Fork of Negrito Creek

CONTAINMENT: 8,624 acres; containment increased to 54%.

PERSONNEL:20 responders in one crews, one helicopter, an ambulance and one engines.

EVACUATIONS/CLOSURES: There are no evacuations or road closures

Dark Fire

START: Lightning strikes causing several fires, July 12

LOCATION: Dark Canyon

CONTAINMENT: 3,074 acres; 5% contained

PERSONNEL: 64 responders, two crews, three engines, a dozer and an ambulance

EVACUATIONS/CLOSURES: There are no evacuations or road closures

Turkey Fire

START: Lightning strike, July 22

LOCATION: 9 miles northeast of Cliff

CONTAINMENT: 5,200 acres; 0% contained.

PERSONNEL: Resources assigned include a dozer, hand crews and several engines

EVACUATIONS/CLOSURES: Road and trail closures are in place in the vicinity of the fire