Latest news with #TroutFire
Yahoo
10 hours ago
- Climate
- Yahoo
Nearly 20,000 acres burned in wildfires across Gila National Forest
Jun. 13—Two wildfires on opposite ends of the Gila National Forest have torched more than 19,000 acres, prompting some highway closures and evacuations in southwestern New Mexico. By Friday evening, neither the Trout Fire, burning north of Silver City, nor the lightning-caused Buck Fire, located southwest of Magdalena and Datil, had been contained since sparking the day before. The cause of the Trout Fire remains under investigation. Here's the latest on both fires, provided by InciWeb, a wildfire information management system, and other officials. Trout Fire A wildfire had burned over 3,900 acres and forced a highway closure 12 miles north of Silver City. The fire grew from 500 acres on Thursday evening to 2,000 by Friday morning. No one has been injured, and no structures have burned. The fire is burning in timber, brush and grass on both sides of N.M. 15 in the Sheep Corral and Meadow Creek areas, according to a statement from the Gila National Forest. "The fire was under the influence of hot, dry, windy weather and did push east of Highway 15 into the upper Meadow Creek area," said Maribeth Pecotte, a spokesperson for the Gila National Forest. N.M. 15 is closed where it intersects with N.M. 35, south of the Ben Lilly Memorial. An evacuation order from the Grant County Office of Emergency Management was issued Friday afternoon near the highways, and residents were asked to evacuate via N.M. 35 toward Mimbres. Pecotte urged travelers to avoid the area if they do not have a home or business in the N.M. 15 corridor. The Mimbres and Sapillo Creek valleys have been advised to prepare for the possibility of an evacuation, but Pecotte said it is up to the county to determine if and when evacuations will happen. "Fire activity has calmed down a bit over time and has not produced a lot of smoke this morning, but we do expect the fire to continue growing as the day heats up, and relative humidity drops to single digits and winds pick up," Pecotte said. Buck Fire The fire, southeast of Aragon and south of Pelona Mountain, had torched 16,00 acres and forced an evacuation for Garcia Camp. The fire moved onto private land and homes roughly 1 to 2 miles away are under threat, with power lines in the vicinity of the blaze. No injuries have been reported. The Continental Divide Trail south of N.M. 12 in Catron County has been impacted by the inferno, and Bureau of Land Management and fire officials have warned hikers to avoid that portion of the trail. Hotter and drier conditions are expected throughout the weekend, according to National Weather Service meteorologist Michael Anand. "There is a chance for some showers and some dry thunderstorms down there this afternoon, so if any dry lightning strikes do impact that area, with the extreme drought conditions, that could lead to future fire starts," Anand said.
Yahoo
11 hours ago
- Climate
- Yahoo
Nearly 20,000 acres burned in wildfires across Gila National Forest
Jun. 13—Two wildfires on opposite ends of the Gila National Forest have torched more than 19,000 acres, prompting some highway closures and evacuations in southwestern New Mexico. By Friday evening, neither the Trout Fire, burning north of Silver City, nor the lightning-caused Buck Fire, located southwest of Magdalena and Datil, had been contained since sparking the day before. The cause of the Trout Fire remains under investigation. Here's the latest on both fires, provided by InciWeb, a wildfire information management system, and other officials. Trout Fire A wildfire had burned over 3,900 acres and forced a highway closure 12 miles north of Silver City. The fire grew from 500 acres on Thursday evening to 2,000 by Friday morning. No one has been injured, and no structures have burned. The fire is burning in timber, brush and grass on both sides of N.M. 15 in the Sheep Corral and Meadow Creek areas, according to a statement from the Gila National Forest. "The fire was under the influence of hot, dry, windy weather and did push east of Highway 15 into the upper Meadow Creek area," said Maribeth Pecotte, a spokesperson for the Gila National Forest. N.M. 15 is closed where it intersects with N.M. 35, south of the Ben Lilly Memorial. An evacuation order from the Grant County Office of Emergency Management was issued Friday afternoon near the highways, and residents were asked to evacuate via N.M. 35 toward Mimbres. Pecotte urged travelers to avoid the area if they do not have a home or business in the N.M. 15 corridor. The Mimbres and Sapillo Creek valleys have been advised to prepare for the possibility of an evacuation, but Pecotte said it is up to the county to determine if and when evacuations will happen. "Fire activity has calmed down a bit over time and has not produced a lot of smoke this morning, but we do expect the fire to continue growing as the day heats up, and relative humidity drops to single digits and winds pick up," Pecotte said. Buck Fire The fire, southeast of Aragon and south of Pelona Mountain, had torched 16,00 acres and forced an evacuation for Garcia Camp. The fire moved onto private land and homes roughly 1 to 2 miles away are under threat, with power lines in the vicinity of the blaze. No injuries have been reported. The Continental Divide Trail south of N.M. 12 in Catron County has been impacted by the inferno, and Bureau of Land Management and fire officials have warned hikers to avoid that portion of the trail. Hotter and drier conditions are expected throughout the weekend, according to National Weather Service meteorologist Michael Anand. "There is a chance for some showers and some dry thunderstorms down there this afternoon, so if any dry lightning strikes do impact that area, with the extreme drought conditions, that could lead to future fire starts," Anand said.
Yahoo
12 hours ago
- Climate
- Yahoo
Gila National Forest closes part of its land due to Trout Fire
EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) — The Gila National Forest has issued a public safety closure order for part of its land and recreation sites threatened by the Trout Fire that is burning north of Silver City. The closure area is south and west of New Mexico Highway 35, north of Allie Canyon Trail, Continental Divide National Scenic Trail, Signal Peak Trail, and Tadpole Ridge Trail, and east of Sheep Corral Canyon Trail and Forest Road 4083V in the Sheep Corral area, the Gila National Forest said. The fire was estimated to be 2,170 acres at 0 percent containment as of Friday morning, June 13. Trout Fire burning north of Silver City at 2K acres, 0% containment All National Forest system lands within the closure area are closed to public entry, including developed recreation sites along New Mexico Highway 35 including Allie Canyon Trailhead, Sapillo Continental Divide National Scenic Trail Trailhead, Railroad Canyon Trailhead, Pictograph Canyon Trailhead, Purgatory Chasm Trailhead, Sapillo Group Campground, Mesa Campground, Upper End Campground, Lake Roberts Day Use Area, Lake Roberts Picnic Area, Vista Ruins Picnic Area, and the Lake Roberts Recreation Area. Additionally, Grant County Sheriff's Office issued a 'Go' evacuation order for private properties along the western end of New Mexico Highway 35, from Sapillo Campground west to the Highway 15/35 intersection, on both sides of the highway. Private properties east of Sapillo Campground along New Mexico Highway 35 remain in 'Set' status under the wildfire preparedness Ready, Set, Go program. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
13 hours ago
- Climate
- Yahoo
Wildfires in Gila National Forest force road closures, evacuations
The Meadow Fire, Buck Fire and Trout Fire are burning in the Gila National Forest. The Trout and Meadow fires are consuming acreage just north of silver City, New Mexico, near Highway 15. The Trout Fire had grown to over 2,000 acres by June 13 after igniting June 12. The fire's growth was driven by wind and dry conditions, burning through timber, brush and grass. The Meadow Fire ignited June 11 and was reported around 9 acres on June 12. Firefighters were working to establish containment. Officials said the fire was burning through pine and oak trees and scrub grass. The Buck Fire is burning southeast of Aragon, also in the Gila National Forest. The fire was reported June 11 and is suspected to be caused by lightning. As of June 13 the fire had burned 16,000 acres. Portions of the Gila National Forest were closed to the public as a precaution, as the Trout Fire continues to grow. More: Largest wildfires in New Mexico history In a news release June 13, the U.S. Forest Service announced closures south and west of New Mexico Highway 35, north of Allie Canyon Trail, the continental Divide National Scenic Trail, Signal Peak and Tadpole Ridge trails and east of Sheep Corral Canyon. A "Go" order was issued to those living along the western end of New Mexico Highway 35 from Sapillo Campground to the intersection of Highway 15/35. Road closures include NM 15 northbound and southbound from mile marker 17, 10 miles north of Pinos Altos to mile marker 22, 15 miles north of Pinos Altos, according to the New Mexico Dept. of Transportation. New Mexico 35 eastbound from mile marker 27, 0.5 miles south of NM 15 to mile marker 19, 8 miles south of NM 15 are to be used for evacuations only. Wildfire smoke map: Track fires and ref flag warnings across the US This article originally appeared on Las Cruces Sun-News: Gila National Forest wildfires cause evacuations, road closures
Yahoo
20 hours ago
- Climate
- Yahoo
Trout Fire burning north of Silver City at 2K acres, 0% containment
EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) — The Trout Fire, burning north of Silver City, is now at more than 2,000 acres and 0 percent containment, officials with the Gila National Forest said on Friday morning, June 13. The fire started Thursday, June 12 and is burning 12 miles north of Silver City. The cause of the fire is under investigation. Officials with the Gila National Forest said the fire grew to 2,170 Thursday evening under 'hot, dry, windy conditions.' The fire is burning in timber, brush, and grass on both sides of New Mexico Highway 15 in the Sheep Corral and Meadow Creek areas, officials said. Continued active fire growth to the north and east is expected under predicted weather conditions Friday and in the coming days. Resources fighting the fire include 144 personnel, two single-engine air tankers, a 'very large' air tanker, and two helicopters that made frequent flights on Thursday, delivering fire retardant and water to help slow the fire's advance, fire officials said. Two more helicopters are expected to arrive Friday. Three hotshot crews, four engine crews, and two hand crews continued direct attack, working to establish fireline where safe to do so. Crews are preparing in-direct handline and structure protection in the Mimbres Valley, removing hazardous fuels and assessing needs for hoses, pumps, and sprinklers, fire officials said. Four dozers have begun reopening dozer lines used during past fires to the north and east of the fire area to protect Lake Roberts and communities in the Mimbres and Sapillo Creek valleys. As for the weather, drier air is moving into the area, leading to low relative humidity with poor moisture recovery, fire officials said. Temperatures are also on a warming trend with single-digit relative humidity values. Friday's high is expected to be in the low 90s. Temperatures are expected to climb through the weekend and into next week with minimal chances for precipitation, fire officials said. That all adds up to difficult firefighting conditions. The public is asked to avoid New Mexico highways 15 and 35 due to the large volume of firefighter traffic and limited entry and exit options for area residents. Smoke is widely visible around the Grant County area. Smoke impacts can be expected in the Mimbres and Sapillo valleys and other low-lying areas, especially overnight and during early morning hours, fire officials said. For real-time smoke conditions, visit: Grant County Office of Emergency Management has placed much of the Mimbres and Sapillo Creek valleys in 'set' mode under the Ready, Set, Go program for evacuations. Visitors were advised Thursday night to evacuate from developed recreation sites at Lake Roberts and other adjacent areas. The national forest is working on establishing a closure order to close all developed recreation sites along Highway 35 and a swath of Highway 15, as well as adjacent National Forest System lands, fire officials said. Stage 2 Fire Restrictions are in place on the Gila National Forest. For full details, visit Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
