Estimated Acres: 12,303 Start Date: June 14, 2016
Cause: Under investigation Location: 5 miles NW of Tajique, NM
Containment: zero Fuels: heavy dead/down timber, ponderosa pine stands
Total personnel: 682
New toll-free phone lines for fire information will be staffed from 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. starting June 16:
855-585-5547, 855-585-5546, 855-581-3862, 855-581-3861
Evacuations:
Bernalillo County: Mandatory evacuations are from the junction of state highways 217 and 337 southward to the Torrance county line including the communities of Chilili, Mercid, Escobosa, and Yrisarri, and Ponderosa Pines. For information about this evacuation call the Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office at (505) 798-7000. A lot of fire traffic is in this area and non-fire personnel should avoid it, please.
Torrance County: Voluntary evacuations are from the Torrance County line south to state highway 55 and from state highway 337 to the west. For information about these evacuations contact the Torrance County Sheriff’s Office at (505) 544-4727.
Evacuations centers are located in Estancia at the Torrance County Fairgrounds (for people, pets, and livestock), and in Tijeras at the Los Vecinos Community Center.
Yesterday firefighters made good progress on the fire perimeter but due to strong winds the fire made a significant push to the northeast. Last night there was extreme fire behavior until 1:00 A.M. The fire pushed 10-12 miles in a northeast direction near the community of Chilili. Structures have been lost in that area but it is unknown at this time how many. It will take time to safely access the location due to fire behavior.
Weather: Today will be breezy and dry with a more westerly wind direction. Winds will be sustained at 15 MPH gusting to 25-30 MPH. It will get hotter and drier the next few days with lessening winds. A Red Flag warning is in effect for today for the Manzano Mountains in the Estancia Valley.
Smoke Impact: The National Weather Service (weather.gov) has issued an air quality alert for the area near the fire through mid-day Thursday: http://1.usa.gov/1Ue2rxY
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.
Fire Information:
Inciweb: http://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/4784/
NM Fire Info: https://nmfireinfo.com/