Crews Focus on Line Construction on Southwest Side of Buzzard Fire

June 9, 2018 Daily Update

Acres: 40,303                                                                             Start Date: May 22, 2018

Cause: Human-caused                                                                              Location: 10 miles NE of Reserve, NM (Gila NF)

Containment: 68%                                                                     Fuels: Timber (litter, grass and understory)

Total Personnel: 513                                                                 

General Information:  Firefighters continue to assess fire growth along the southwestern edge of the fire as the fire backs down ridges from Eagle Peak.  As fire crews secure fire lines along the eastern portion of the fire, opportunities for suppression repair and rehabilitation are occurring.  A Burned Area Emergency Response (BAER) team will be surveying intensely burned areas to recommend emergency treatments to stabilize and prevent degradation to private property, natural and cultural resources.

Fire Operations:  Crews are determining opportunities for potential control lines on the southwest side of the fire, while line construction has begun from Piney Tank to the North Fork of Negrito Creek.  On the eastern portion of the fire, firefighters continue to patrol control lines. and repair and rehabilitate constructed dozer and hand lines.  Seeding and pulling brush onto control lines to reduce erosion is ongoing.

 Fire Safety Awareness:  Stage 2 Fire Restrictions are in effect for the Gila National Forest.  The restrictions prohibit building, maintaining, attending or using a fire, campfire, charcoal, coal, or wood stove.  Use of a combustible engine, including chainsaws, is restricted during the hours of 9:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.  Fire danger is rated as Extreme for the forest.

 Fire Weather:  The moist weather pattern will continue over the area and may bring isolated showers and thundershowers throughout the weekend.  Cooler temperatures are expected Saturday with partly cloudy skies and a 40% chance of showers in the afternoon.  Winds are expected to be moderate with afternoon breezes.  Sunday brings a short term drying trend with stronger, somewhat breezy southwest winds.

Closures: The area around the fire will remain closed for public safety until lifted by the Gila National Forest. Roadblocks have been set up by local law enforcement. In support of this closure, the Continental Divide Trail has been rerouted around the fire closures. The trail reroute map is available at https://bit.ly/2GRESFw. More closure information is available at https://bit.ly/2LvwKhN. For more information on Stage 2 Fire Restrictions, please visit https://www.fs.usda.gov/alerts/gila/alerts-notices/?aid=46143.

Smoke Situation: As the fire slowly backs through old burn scars toward containment lines, only moderate amounts of smoke are expected, causing minor impacts to the majority of populated areas. Ranches to the south and the down-drainage area near Reserve will continue to experience the late night and early morning impacts they have been receiving over the last 10 days. Smoke-sensitive individuals and people with respiratory or heart disease are encouraged to take precautionary measures. For more information on air quality and health impacts due to wildfire smoke, please visit the New Mexico Department of Health website at https://nmtracking.org/fire. Smoke concentration data is available at: https://tools.airfire.org/monitoring/v4.

Fire Information Links: Fire information can be found at nmfireinfo.com and https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/5814/.  For information on the Gila National Forest, please visit https://www.fs.usda.gov/gila.    

Fire Information: (602) 529-5924                      Office Hours: 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.

InciWeb: https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/5814/        Facebook:  www.facebook.com/GilaNForest/

Twitter: @GilaNForest                                          Email: buzzardfireinfo2018@gmail.com