Iron Fire in Gila Wilderness now at 100% containment
EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) — The Iron Fire, burning in the Gila Wilderness north of Silver City, was 100 percent contained as of Monday afternoon, May 12, fire officials announced in a news release issued Tuesday morning.
The fire started on May 4 and was caused by lightning, fire officials said.
Windy conditions that first day quickly caused the fire to expand and it initially was estimated to have reached 901 acres.
But after crews used GPS and walk-arounds to get a better estimate, the fire was estimated to be about half of that. Final estimates had the fire at 482 acres.
Command of the fire will transfer back to the Gila National Forest at 6 a.m. on Wednesday, fire officials said.
'On behalf of the entire Gila Las Cruces Type 3 Incident Management Team, I want to extend my thanks to the local communities and partners for the incredible support shown throughout the week,' Incident Commander Marcus Cornwell said. 'As we return command to the Gila National Forest, the team remains ready to assist southwest New Mexico with any wildfires that exceed the initial response.'
In anticipation of high winds forecasted for Monday and Tuesday, all firefighting personnel were removed from the fireline on Sunday afternoon to ensure safety.
Forecasted winds pose a significant hazard due to unstable snags (dead trees) within the fire area and limit the use of aircraft, fire officials said.
Three hotshot crews and three engines remain 'strategically positioned' to provide initial attack support for any new fire starts within the Gila National Forest, fire officials said.
The National Weather Service has issued a Red Flag Warning for southwest New Mexico, including parts of the Gila National Forest. This alert includes low relative humidity and 30-40 mph wind gusts, conditions that can lead to rapid fire spread. For details, visit: https://www.weather.gov/epz/
Stage 2 Fire Restrictions remain in place on the Gila National Forest. For full details, visit: www.fs.usda.gov/r03/gila/alerts.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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