Single Publication

Acres: 727                                                                  Start Date: Monday, May 26, 2025
Location: 13 miles south of Quemado, NM                 Personnel: 147
Containment: 30%                                                      Cause: Human-caused, under investigation

Summary: The Paradise Fire is holding at 727 acres, and crews have increased containment to 30%. Firefighters are working to hold and secure fire lines, while mopping up areas of heat to prevent fire growth under persistent extremely dry conditions present in Catron County. Firefighters observed smoldering and creeping fire behavior, along with isolated torching in interior pockets. The fire is located 13 miles south of Quemado, NM on the southern flank Escondido Mountain and north of Quemado Lake.

An unmanned aerial system was flown over the fire perimeter on Thursday, May 29, helping resources on the ground to identify remaining areas of heat. With this aerial support, crews made progress mopping up areas of heat deeper into the fire’s interior and will continue this work today. Resources are continuing to chip brush along the containment line. A priority objective is to protect values at risk, including private property/residences, Socorro Electric Powerline, range infrastructure, Quemado Lake Recreation Area, and cultural resource sites.

The Gila Las Cruces Type 3 Incident Management Team is available for initial attack on any new starts that may result from predicted thunderstorms and dry lightning. Aviation resources also remain available if needed.

Weather: Sun and calm winds are forecasted for today, when the high will reach 83. Tomorrow, scattered showers and thunderstorms are possible in the afternoon, while storms are likely Sunday.

Closures: The Quemado Lake area is closed for public use for the protection of firefighter and public safety.

Safety: A Temporary Flight Restriction (TFR) remains in effect over the fire area. Unauthorized drone use poses a serious risk to aerial firefighting operations. If you fly, we can’t.

Smoke: Smoke production was moderate, and local air quality was rated at “good” as of Wednesday evening. For real-time smoke conditions, visit: https://fire.airnow.gov/.

Fire Restrictions: Stage 2 Fire Restrictions are in place on the Gila National Forest. For full details, visit https://www.fs.usda.gov/r03/gila/alerts/stage-2-fire-restrictions.

For more information:

Public Information Officer: Email Maribeth.Pecotte@usda.govor 575-388-8211, 8am - 8pm 

Incident Information: https://inciweb.wildfire.gov/incident-information/nmgnf-paradise-fire 

Facebook: www.facebook.com/GilaNForest