Acres: 17,617
Cause: Under Investigation
Jurisdiction: Cibola National Forest, NM State Forestry, Southern Pueblo Agency, BLM
Location: 6 miles NW of Tajique, NM
Vegetation: Heavy fuels, dead and down timber, ponderosa pine stands
Damage Assessment: 24 single residences and 21 other minor structures
Total Personnel: 953
COMMUNITY MEETING TONIGHT
Roosevelt Middle School, 11799 South Highway 14, Tijeras, NM at 4:30 p.m.
The transition to a higher humidity environment took place overnight, which helped moderate fire activity. However, we will rebound to hot, dry conditions throughout the day, with moderate to very active fire behavior this afternoon. Periods of extreme fire behavior remain a possibility this afternoon when wind topography and fuels line up. With the persistent high temperatures and low relative humidity, pockets of unburned fuel within the fire’s perimeter will continue to burn. Spotting up to ¼ mile is possible.
Firefighters monitored, patrolled and mopped up overnight. They also flagged dozer lines around the fingers on the fire on the east side of the fire in preparation for dozer line construction today.
On the west side of the fire, firefighters will continue to hold and patrol the well-established handline where crews have dug down to bare mineral soil, creating a break in continuous fuel to help stop the fire’s spread.
On the east side of the fire, firefighters continue to go direct as much as possible, where they can do so safely. They will continue to establish dozer and handline to keep the fire’s movement in check.
Firefighters continue to be vigilant about monitoring for potential spots across the line. Air attack will provide continuous coverage throughout the day, serving as firefighters’ eyes in the sky. Helicopters and air tankers will continue to drop water and retardant on the fire as needed to support firefighters on the ground.
Today is expected to be mostly sunny with a few cumulus clouds during the afternoon. Temperatures are expected to each 90 to 95 degrees, minimum humidity at 10 to 14 percent. Winds are predicted to be light and variable, with WNW winds 4-7 mph on the west flank and ESE 5-8 mph on the east flank, which are favorable for holding the fireline.
The strategy for this fire is full suppression. Current incident objectives including providing for the safety of incident responders and the public through the application and implementation of sound risk management analysis, efficiently suppressing the fire using a full range of suppression tactics, and protecting values at risk from adverse fire and incident management actions.
Smoke sensitive individuals and people with respiratory problems are encouraged to take precautionary measures. Information on air quality and protecting your health can be found online at the New Mexico Department of Health website at https://nmtracking.org/fire.
Additional fire information, maps, and photos are available on: http://inciweb.nwcg.gov,http://nmfireinfo.com, http://facebook.com/dogheadfire/, and http://twitter.com/dogheadfireinfo.