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Lightning Ignites Wildfire Near Jackson Peak within Santa Teresa Wilderness

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Publication Type: News Tue, 07/14/2020 - 12:00

The Jackson fire was ignited by lightning the evening of Saturday July 11 near Jackson Peak in the Santa Teresa wilderness on Bureau of Land Management lands northwest of Safford, Arizona.The fire burns in very steep and rocky terrain composed of thick brushy fuels and grass. Due to increasing complexity, a decision was made to call out the Southeast Zone Type 3 Incident Management Team to manage the fire. Command of the fire was transferred to the incident management team on July 13 at 6 p.m.

An infrared flight surveyed the fire Monday and determined the fire had burned 939 acres. It was moving to the northeast towards San Carlos Apache Reservation lands. Due to the difficulty of the terrain, Monday’s effort was to initiate point protection for local structures and residences and to scout to identify defensible terrain barriers around the fire. Single engine air tankers were employed to slow the fire’s spread.

Two crews and a fire use module are currently assigned to the fire, with another hotshot crew arriving Tuesday. They will be supported by two helicopters and two engines. Air tankers will be available as needed. Additional resources have been ordered. Crews today will again scout and look for opportunities to engage the fire in accessible terrain and continue point protection around structures and residences. The fire is being managed with a full suppression strategy.

Closures: The Black Rock Road is closed at the San Carlos Apache Reservation boundary.

Temporary Flight Restrictions: A temporary flight restriction has been placed over the Jackson fire area.

Restrictions: Stage 2 fire restrictions are in place for Bureau of Land Management, Arizona State lands and the Coronado National Forest which prohibit open fires, fireworks, and target shooting.

For further information, please visit the following links:
Inciweb: https://inciweb.nwcg.gov
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BLMArizona
Twitter: https://twitter.com/BLMAZFire
Smoke Outlooks: https://wildlandfiresmoke.net/outlooks

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Ojo de los Casos Fire Receives More Rain Final Update

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Publication Type: News Fri, 07/17/2020 - 12:00

July 17, 2020 Update

Mountainair, NM – For Immediate Release – Steady rains fell over the Ojo de los Casos fire yesterday evening and night. The fire, which has been burning in the Manzano Mountains since July 8th has now been declared 100% contained with the size remaining at 180 acres. Firefighters worked quickly yesterday morning to remove all plumbing and equipment off the fire before the rains arrived in the afternoon. Crews will be working the fire today then released at the end of the day. Local crews will continue to monitor the fire for any signs of heat in the upcoming days. This will be the final update for the Ojo de los Casos Fire barring a significant event on the fire. The Mountainair Ranger District would like to thank all cooperators and residents for the support during this event. Weather: Today will be partly cloudy with a 30% chance of precipitation in the afternoon. Temperatures over the fire area will be mid to upper 80s today. Minimum humidity should stay in the mid 20’s today. Winds will be terrain dominated 5-10 increasing to 10-15 from the southwest in the afternoon. Safety: Safety of the public and firefighters is always the top priority in wildland fire operations. Ojo de Los Casos Fire operations include best management practices to prevent the spread of COVID-19 within firefighter crews/operations and within the general public. Smoke: Little to no smoke has been reported as being emitted from the fire. Information on health impacts from smoke can be found by visiting the New Mexico Department of Health website at https://nmtracking.org/fire. Drones: The public is reminded to avoid the use of unmanned aerial systems (drones) near wildfires. When drones are illegally flown over a fire, air operations can be suspended, and crews lose a valuable resource, which can adversely affect the safety and efficiency of the overall firefighting effort. For more information on drones, see https://www.fs.usda.gov/managing-land/fire/uas/if-you-fly, and Know Before You Fly! Inciweb: https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/6837/ New Mexico Fire Information: www.nmfireinfo.com Facebook: Cibola National Forest & National Grasslands (@cibolanf)

Twitter: Cibola NF&Grasslands (@Cibola_NF) and New Mexico State Forestry (@NMStateForestry)

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Ojo de los Casos Fire receives light rain

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Publication Type: News Thu, 07/16/2020 - 12:00

July 16, 2020 Update

Mountainair, NM – For Immediate Release – Yesterday light precipitation fell over the Ojo de los Casos fire, which has been burning in the Manzano Mountains for over a week. The fire remains at 180 acres and is now 75% contained. Yesterday thick dust clouds around Albuquerque, throughout the East Mountains and the Estancia Valley lead many to believe it was smoke from this fire but that was not the case. The fire has only a few small hotspots remaining which are putting up minimal smoke. Mop-up, equipment removal and initial attack will be the focuses of firefighters today as the possibility of thunderstorms continues. Unless there is a significant event, this fire will only be updated once a day. Weather: Today will be partly cloudy with a 40% chance of precipitation in the afternoon. Temperatures over the fire area will be mid to upper 80s today. Minimum humidity should stay in the mid 20’s today. Safety: Safety of the public and firefighters is always the top priority in wildland fire operations. Ojo de Los Casos Fire operations include best management practices to prevent the spread of COVID-19 within firefighter crews/operations and within the general public. Smoke: Little to no smoke has been reported as being emitted from the fire. Information on health impacts from smoke can be found by visiting the New Mexico Department of Health website at https://nmtracking.org/fire. Drones: The public is reminded to avoid the use of unmanned aerial systems (drones) near wildfires. When drones are illegally flown over a fire, air operations can be suspended, and crews lose a valuable resource, which can adversely affect the safety and efficiency of the overall firefighting effort. For more information on drones, see https://www.fs.usda.gov/managing-land/fire/uas/if-you-fly, and Know Before You Fly! Closures: There are no closures at this time. Inciweb: https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/6837/ New Mexico Fire Information: www.nmfireinfo.com Facebook: Cibola National Forest & National Grasslands (@cibolanf)

Twitter: Cibola NF&Grasslands (@Cibola_NF) and New Mexico State Forestry (@NMStateForestry)

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Ojo de los Casos Downsized to Type 4 Incident

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Publication Type: News Wed, 07/15/2020 - 12:00

Ojo de los Casos Fire will Transition to Type 4 Incident Tomorrow

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Publication Type: News Tue, 07/14/2020 - 12:00

Winds test Ojo de los Casos Fire lines

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Publication Type: News Mon, 07/13/2020 - 12:00

Ojo de los Casos Crews Assist in Mutual Aid Fire

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Publication Type: News Sun, 07/12/2020 - 12:00

Ojo De Los Casos Crews Provide Mutual Aid on Grass Fire

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Publication Type: News Sat, 07/11/2020 - 12:00

https://nmfireinfo.com/2020/07/11/ojo-de-los-casos-crews-provide-mutual-aid/

How a dirty burn affects wildfire containment percentage

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Publication Type: News Sat, 07/11/2020 - 12:00

July 11, 2020 Mountainair, NM – For Immediate Release

Wildfire perimeters aren’t always easy to define. When drawn on a public map, they are often depicted as one simple line to describe the outermost bounds of the area that is burning. However, fire may not burn evenly throughout the interior of that fire, so things might look quite different on the ground. The reasons for the manner of fire spread are numerous (e.g., weather, fuel loads, suppression actions). The Ojo de los Casos Fire falls into this category.

This fire is made up of many patches of burned and unburned vegetation. In cases such as this, lingering heat can hide within unburned fuels close to the ground. This heat may not be recognized until weather and fuel conditions are just right for ignition. Once ignited, these areas could burn hot and fast. Firefighters call this a “dirty” or “scabby” burn.

Complete “containment” is the ultimate goal for the fire management team in command of fire suppression activities. To reach containment, fire managers must attain a high level of confidence that the fire will not spread beyond a defined boundary and that unburned fuels within the perimeter and in the surrounding landscape are not at risk of igniting (spot fires). Until firefighters have a high level of confidence that no significant heat resides adjacent to the physical containment line, containment percentage estimates remain conservative.

Ojo de Los Casos Fire Information: 505-369-6521, 2020.ojodeloscasos@firenet.gov
Inciweb: https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/6837/
New Mexico Fire Information: www.nmfireinfo.com
Facebook: Cibola National Forest & National Grasslands (@cibolanf) https://www.facebook.com/cibolanf/
Twitter: Cibola NF&Grasslands; (@Cibola_NF) https://twitter.com/cibola_nf?lang=en

Ojo de los Casos Fire 10 contained

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Publication Type: News Sat, 07/11/2020 - 12:00

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