New start north of Navajo Dam latest wildfire reported in northwest New Mexico

Mike Easterling, Farmington Daily Times
·2 min read

Another blaze was added to the growing list of wildfires burning in northwest New Mexico earlier this week when the West Fork Fire north of Navajo Dam was reported, bringing the area’s total to three.

The West Fork Fire was reported eight miles north of Navajo Dam in San Juan County at 5 p.m. Monday, Aug. 7. The fire was reported at 45 acres with no containment on Tuesday in a news release issued by Bureau of Land Management officials.

There were no residences within two miles of the fire, officials said, but the area is dotted with oil and gas well pads. Crews from the BLM and San Juan County Fire & Rescue were battling the blaze.

The fire reportedly was caused by a lightning strike and was burning in juniper, grass and brush. Smoke from the blaze was visible in Arboles, and in Pagosa Spring, Colorado, as well as from U.S. Highway 550 and U.S. Highway 64, according to the release.

Meanwhile, firefighters made good progress on bringing the nearby Lake Fire under control on Tuesday, according to another news release from the BLM. That 73-acre fire burning northwest of Navajo Lake in San Juan County on BLM and Bureau of Reclamation land was 90% contained on Tuesday, up from 20% Monday afternoon. It did not grow on Tuesday.

The Lake Fire was not threatening any private residences on Tuesday and no evacuations were in effect, officials said. The fire reportedly was started by a lightning strike on Aug. 2.

Crews from the BLM, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Farmington Fire Department and San Juan County Fire & Rescue responded to the blaze.

The American Mesa Fire burning southwest of Dulce had burned 756 acres as of Tuesday and was 25% contained.
The American Mesa Fire burning southwest of Dulce had burned 756 acres as of Tuesday and was 25% contained.

The other wildfire burning in the region, the American Mesa Fire, was burning 16 miles southwest of Dulce and is the largest of the three blazes at 756 acres. The fire was only 25% contained as of Tuesday night.

A Type 3 team from Nevada took over management of the fire Tuesday morning.

“We received an outstanding handoff from Carson National Forest Operations,” incident commander Brian Kitchen stated in a news release. “We want to ensure crews are staying safe while keeping the fire at bay during this transition.”

As of Tuesday night, there were 160 personnel fighting the blaze including hot shots, engines and hand crews. There were no immediate threats to structures, officials said.

Mike Easterling can be reached at 505-564-4610 or measterling@daily-times.com. Support local journalism with a digital subscription: http://bit.ly/2I6TU0e.

This article originally appeared on Farmington Daily Times: West Fork Fire north of Navajo Dam is latest wildfire to hit region