Incident Start Date: May 26, 2019 Cause: Lightning Size: 3,631 acres

Incident Type: Wildfire Vegetation Type: Pinyon-Juniper, Grass & Ponderosa Pine

Fire Strategy: Containment Percent Complete: 90%

Carrizozo, Ruidoso, Alamogordo NM. 7/04/2019 — The Lone Mountain Fire has been turned over to an engine crew from Lincoln National Forest and they will monitor and patrol the fire’s perimeter as needed.

After more than a month, the lightning-caused fire stands at 3,631 acres and 90% completion. While the fire is extremely unlikely to escape its current footprint, it will not be fully “out” until the area receives substantial rain.

Forest leadership has used this natural occurrence to reintroduce fire to a landscape that not only has adapted to live with fire but thrives with regular, low-intensity burns. With no structural, cultural or historic values directly in the fire’s path and complimentary weather, the decision was made to not only let the fire burn but put more fire on the ground to help contain any potential spread. The result is a mosaic of burned and unburned vegetation, which increases habitat diversity and breaks up continuous fuels on the forest floor (branches, fallen trees, etc.) which can help limit or slow the intensity and spread of large wildfires in the future.

The fire remains well within the established perimeter planning area between Forest Service Roads 976E and Road 483 (aka Coyote Canyon Road).

Incident Start Date: May 26, 2019 Cause: Lightning Size: 3,631 acres

Incident Type: Wildfire Vegetation Type: Pinyon-Juniper, Grass & Ponderosa Pine

Fire Strategy: Containment Percent Complete: 90%

Carrizozo, Ruidoso, Alamogordo NM. 7/03/2019 — Firefighters have completed their planned ignitions within the footprint of the Lone Mountain Fire and are stepping back to patrol and monitor the lines. Crews at Lone Mountain burned more than 400 acres yesterday to bring the final total acres to 3,631.

With most of the fire’s edge cold, assigned crews – one hand crew, one engine, one UAS team and one wildland fire module – will turn the fire over to the local resources of the Lincoln National Forest. While the fire is highly unlikely to see any growth, it will not be truly contained or “out” until the area receives substantial rain.

Forest leadership is using this natural occurrence to reintroduce fire to a landscape that not only has adapted to live with fire but thrives with regular, low-intensity burns. With no structural, cultural or historic values directly in the fire’s path and complimentary weather, the decision was made to not only let the fire burn but put more fire on the ground to help contain any potential spread. The result is a mosaic of burned and unburned vegetation, which increases habitat diversity and breaks up continuous fuels on the forest floor (branches, fallen trees, etc.) which can help limit or slow the intensity and spread of large wildfires in the future.

The fire remains well within the established perimeter planning area between Forest Service Roads 976E and Road 483 (aka Coyote Canyon Road).

Residents and visitors might see continued smoke from firing operations, especially during the warmer, drier afternoon and early evening hours. Smoke might be visible from White Oaks, Carrizozo, Capitan and Highway 54.

Incident Start Date: May 26, 2019 Cause: Lightning Size: 3,224 acres

Incident Type: Wildfire Vegetation Type: Pinyon-Juniper, Grass & Ponderosa Pine

Fire Strategy: Containment Percent Contained: 80%

Carrizozo, Ruidoso, Alamogordo NM. 7/02/2019 — Crew members blackened 650 acres within the footprint of the Lone Mountain Fire as they move toward completing work to help restore the landscape to a more natural state. Lone Mountain is a lightning-sparked fire that started May 26 and covers 3,224 acres northeast of Carrizozo.

Forest leadership is using this natural occurrence to reintroduce fire to a landscape that not only has adapted to live with fire but thrives with regular, low-intensity burns. With no structural, cultural or historic values directly in the fire’s path and complimentary weather, the decision was made to not only let the fire burn but put more fire on the ground to help contain any potential spread. The result is a mosaic of burned and unburned vegetation, which increases habitat diversity and breaks up continuous fuels on the forest floor (branches, fallen trees, etc.) which can help limit or slow the intensity and spread of large wildfires in the future.

Firefighters are nearing completion of burning operations and likely will turn the operations back to the staff of the Lincoln National Forest in the coming days as it falls into a monitoring and patrol status.

The fire remains well within the established perimeter planning area between Forest Service Roads 976E and Road 483 (aka Coyote Canyon Road).

Residents and visitors might see continued smoke from firing operations, especially during the warmer, drier afternoon and early evening hours. Smoke might be visible from White Oaks, Carrizozo, Capitan and Highway 54.

Incident Start Date: May 26, 2019 Cause: Lightning Size: 2,536 acres

Incident Type: Wildfire Vegetation Type: Pinyon-Juniper, Grass & Ponderosa Pine

Fire Strategy: Containment Percent Contained: 30%

Carrizozo, Ruidoso, Alamogordo NM. 7/01/2019 — Crews have completed work to blackline the perimeter of the Lone Mountain Fire – a lightning-ignited fire 14 miles northeast of Carrizozo – and acreage has increased to 2,536 acres with 30% containment.

Fire personnel worked for weeks to form a secure perimeter on this fire to allow it to help reduce dangerous fuel loads and restore a more natural landscape to the fire-adapted ecosystem. The 600-acre growth from the last reporting period represents a significant step towards reducing fuels and improving vegetation variety. The fire remains well within the established perimeter planning area between Forest Service Roads 976E and Road 483 (aka Coyote Canyon Road).

With the perimeter established and blackened by low-intensity fire, crews now can focus on taking fire to the interior portions of the fire’s footprint in the coming days.

Residents and visitors might see continued smoke from firing operations, especially during the warmer, drier afternoon and early evening hours. Smoke might be visible from White Oaks, Carrizozo, Capitan and Highway 54.

The Lone Mountain Fire is burning in an area with no structures or other values at risk. Naturally-ignited wildland fires play an important role in fire-adapted ecosystems by reducing dead wood accumulations to ash and releasing nutrients that stimulate new plant growth, and helping to regulate insect and disease levels. These fires also create a mosaic of burned and unburned vegetation, which increases habitat diversity and breaks up continuous fuels on the forest floor (branches, fallen trees, etc.) which can help limit or slow the intensity and spread of large wildfires in the future.

Incident Type: Wildfire Vegetation Type: Pinyon-Juniper, Grass & Ponderosa Pine

Fire Strategy: Containment Containment: 30%

Carrizozo, Ruidoso, Alamogordo, NM. 6/30/2019 — Crews completed back burning the east side of the fire perimeter today and began interior aerial ignitions, which increased the fire size to 1,936 acres. Fire activity within an established planning area will increase over the next few days. Smoke, especially in the afternoon, may be visible from Carrizozo, Capitan and Highway 54.

The Lone Mountain Fire, which started on May 26 from a lightning strike, is in an ideal location to allow fire to fulfill its natural role in the ecosystem. As a fire burns across the landscape at a low to moderate intensity, it reduces wood to ash, which releases nutrients like nitrogen and phosphorous back into the soil, acting as a natural fertilizer. This, in turn, stimulates new plant growth. Bright green grasses are already starting to grow in an area that burned only seven days ago and had yet to see rain.

Additional benefits from the Lone Mountain Fire land managers hope to see are a reduction in the number of pinyon-juniper trees and an increase in other types of vegetation like native grasses, flowers, and cactuses. A variety of vegetation types increases habitat diversity and breaks up continuous fuels on the forest floor, which may help decrease the risk of high-severity fires.

For more information on how to protect your health during a wildfire, please visit New Mexico Department of Health website at https://nmtracking.org/fire.


Photo Caption: Bright green grasses are already growing in an area that was burned by the Lone Mountain Fire only seven days ago and had yet to see rain. This is because of an increase in soil nutrients produced after low-intensity fires.

Lone Mountain Fire Update: June 29, 2019

Incident Start Date: May 26, 2019 Cause: Lightning Size: 1350 acres

Incident Type: Wildfire Vegetation Type: Pinyon-Juniper, Grass & Ponderosa Pine

Fire Strategy: Containment Percent Contained: 30%

Carrizozo, Ruidoso, Alamogordo NM. 6/29/2019 — The Lone Mountain Fire is now 1350 acres. The fire increased by about 250 acres, within the-established perimeter planning area between Forest Service Roads 976E and Road 483 (aka Coyote Canyon Road).

Crews, including two hotshot teams and three engines, will complete back burning along roads in anticipation of increased fire activity over the coming days and possibly weeks. Safety always comes first in fire management. Using fire boundaries to confine the fire increases the safety of personnel on the ground and reduces the number of firefighters needed.

Over the next few days, and possibly weeks, smoke may be visible from Carrizozo, Capitan and Highway 54. For more information on how to protect your health during a wildfire, please visit New Mexico Department of Health website at https://nmtracking.org/fire.

The Lone Mountain Fire is burning in an area with no structures or other values at risk. Naturally-ignited wildland fires play an important role in fire-adapted ecosystems by reducing dead wood accumulations to ash and releasing nutrients that stimulate new plant growth, and helping to regulate insect and disease levels. These fires also create a mosaic of burned and unburned vegetation, which increases habitat diversity and breaks up continuous fuels on the forest floor (branches, fallen trees, etc.) which can help limit or slow the intensity and spread of large wildfires in the future.

Weather: The fire received about 0.12 inch of rain yesterday. Temperatures are expected to continue in the upper 80s with high humidity levels because of afternoon thunderstorms. Erratic winds are also predicted.

Lone Mountain Fire Update June 28, 2019

The Columbine Wildland Fire Module assumed command of the Lone Mountain Fire on Wednesday morning.
After conducting more precise mapping, it was determined the Lone Mountain Fire is now 1100 acres. The fire picked up about 200 acres on the north side as it slowly burned towards Road 975b. The fire remains well within the established planning area perimeter between Forest Service Roads 976E and Road 483 (aka Coyote Canyon Road).

Today crews will construct fire line and conduct back burning along roads in anticipation of increased fire activity over the coming days and possibly weeks. Smoke may be visible from Carrizozo, Capitan and Highway 54. For more information on how to protect your health during a wildfire please visit the New Mexico Department of Health website at https://nmtracking.org/fire.

This wildfire, which was started by lightning on May 26, 2019, is being managed for resource benefit. Potential benefits of this fire include reducing the number of pinyon-juniper trees. The pinyon-juniper trees have encroached historically open areas, making it difficult for native grasses to flourish. It also will create a variety of burned and unburned vegetation, which increases habitat diversity and breaks up continuous fuels on the forest floor (branches, fallen trees, etc.) which can help limit or slow the intensity and spread of large wildfires in the future.

Weather: Temperatures are expected to be in the upper 80s with higher humidity levels in the afternoon because of nearby rain clouds. Sustained winds of 6 mph, gusting up to 33 mph are predicted.

Smoke from the Lone Mountain Fire may be visible from Carrizozo, Highway 54 and surrounding areas over the next few weeks.

Local crews have been monitoring the Lone Mountain Fire since last Thursday. Over the past month, the Lone Mountain Fire has slowly picked up acreage. This past Saturday the fire started to burn interior pockets of vegetation previously missed by the fire. This presented additional opportunities to decrease fuels in the area; therefore, the decision was made to bring the Columbine Wildland Fire Module back to continue work on the Lone Mountain Fire.

Command of the Lone Mountain Fire will be transferred back to the Columbine Wildland Fire Module on Wednesday, June 26, 2019. Bringing back the Columbine Wildland Fire Module frees up local district fire resources to respond to potential new fire starts.

Smoke may be visible from Carrizozo and Highway 54 over the next few weeks.

A Wildland Fire Module is a ten-person crew of fire experts with specialized skills in GIS and firing techniques to meet specific objectives on the landscape; perfect for fires like the Lone Mountain Fire. The Park Service has used Wildland Fire Modules since the 1980s, and the Forest Service started to put together their own modules in the past ten years.

The Lone Mountain Fire is currently 990 acres. It burned the understory of ponderosa pine stands and also consumed some pinyon-juniper stands. The wildfire was successful in reducing fuel loads by up to 50 percent in some areas. A fuel load is the amount of flammable material available to burn.

Allowing this naturally-ignited low-intensity wildfire to clean up the forest fuels may lessen the severity of a future fire in this area. The grazing permit holder and adjacent landowners have been very supportive of the containment strategy.

Incident Start Date: May 26, 2019 Cause: Lightning Size: 918 acres

Incident Type: Wildfire Vegetation Type: Pinon-Juniper, Grass, and Ponderosa Pine
Fire Strategy: Containment Percent Confined: 80%

Fire Update: This will be last update on the Lone Mountain Fire unless there is a significant change.

Command of the Lone Mountain Fire has been transferred from the Columbine Wildland Fire Module to the Smokey Bear Ranger District. Crews will continue to monitor the Lone Mountain Fire, which was started by lightning and detected on May 26, 2019. No additional burning is planned for the Lone Mountain Fire and smoke has been minimal since June 15, 2019. The Lone Mountain Fire moved through 910 acres of mostly Ponderosa Pine and some Pinyon Juniper stands. The wildfire was successful in reducing fuel loads by up to 50 percent in some areas. Allowing this naturally-ignited low-intensity wildfire to clean up forest fuels may lessen the severity of future wildfires in this area.

The Lincoln National Forest would like to thank the grazing permit holder and local residents for their support during the Lone Mountain Fire.