UPDATED: Forest Fire in Catron County NM Has Burned Over 12,000 Acres

UPDATED at 1:34pm Saturday:

URGENT UPDATE FROM KOB TV:

FGGAM received this report from the ABQ Quality Air Program yesterday. This morning you can see the smokey haze in Albuquerque. I took this picture looking into the Sandia Mountains from the west side today at 12:28pm. The Buzzard fire is located in Catron County New Mexico.

At 1:14pm I took the dogs for a run….you can smell the smoke now from the fire. Bad air day on the west side of ABQ. Cut our run short, the air irritated my lungs! Praying for the Firefighters in Catron County and good health for all.

UPDATED 6:13pm Friday:

From ABQ Air Quality:

SMOKE FORECAST

The Buzzard Fire continues to burn a lot of acreage. The latest report shows 7600 acres have been consumed. Satellite imagery shows the center of today’s plume moving eastward through Socorro County. At the northern edge of the plume, Albuquerque may once again see smoke high in the atmosphere this evening. As a low pressure system gets closer, afternoon winds will fan the flames of the Buzzard Fire Saturday. Although the plume is expected to move in a more northerly direction, the plume could move eastward into Albuquerque late Saturday. The low pressure system will disperse a great deal of the smoke, however Albuquerque may still see some haze late Saturday.   For Sunday, the plume may aim closer to Albuquerque. The low pressure system will becloser and will continue to disperse the smoke, however winds will continue to fan the flames also. In other words, some smoke and haze are possible again Sunday.

Copyright © 2017 City of Albuquerque, All rights reserved.1 Civic Plaza, Room 3023 Albuquerque, New Mexico 87102

UPDATED 3:48am Friday: The Apache Creek Fire Dept. is helping fight this fire. I just got in the mail last week a fire hat and t-shirt from them! Please pray for the safety of all.

*********************************************************************

UPDATED 5:18pm Thursday: The fire now has burned 4,600 acres. Smoke from the fire has created a haze in Albuquerque!

*********************************************************************

I just got off the phone with the Catron County Sheriffs office and they said that town of Reserve is filled with smoke. My friend Jo Park, who lives in Reserve, put it this way, “The smoke is hanging thick over our heads this morning”

Summary: The Buzzard Fire is burning on National Forest lands approximately four (4) miles north of Eagle Peak. A new start was reported on May 22, north of Eagle Peak Lookout. An air reconnaissance flight had confirmed the start and the fire is now at approximately 3,000 acres. The forest has imposed a Temporary Flight Restriction for over the fire. Values at risk include private property, the Continental Divide Trail, North Fork Negrito, Eagle Peak Lookout, Mexican spotted owl critical habitat, narrow-headed garter snake and Chiricahua Leopard frog habitat and rangeland grazing. A CDT re-route in in process. A Temporary Flight Restriction is in place over the fire.

NM Fire Report

Here at FGGAM we have been praying everyday for rain. At FBC in Reserve, NM two Ranchers told me that they may have to sell off their cattle if rain does not come very soon. There now is a wildfire near Reserve. KOB TV has the latest on the extreme drought conditions in the southwest.

I pray that every community will call for prayer everyday at Noon.

KOB TV Report 

I posted this yesterday…………

Last night I got a call from Joan McCargish of Reserve about the wildfire east of Reserve, New Mexico in Catron County. The wildfire has grown to about 800 acres.

Joan is the wife of Deacon Charles McCargish of the First Baptist Church in Reserve. Joan said they could see the smoke from their home.

I preached this past Sunday at FBC in Reserve on Sunday, and long time residents told me they had never seen Catron County so dry. They said if things do not improve in a hurry they may have to sell off their cattle. I got the same report from Kieth Gillentine in Quemado.

KOB TV Report

Please join us in prayer for rain and safety of all the firefighters and residents.

Pastor Richard Mansfield of News Beginnings Church and NM Prays leads us in prayer………..

Lord, we are so grateful for Your love and faithfulness. Your are Jehovah Jireh, our Provider. You have promised to meet our every need and You have never let us down. Lord, we here in the Southwest part of the USA, most especially New Mexico is experiencing a severe drought. Our land is crying out for rain, our rivers are extremely low and some have even seen portions dry up. Ranchers and Farmers are in desperate need of rain and moisture. Our forests are dangerously dry and some are already burning. With Your infinite power, send us rain! We’re asking for an abundance of rain yet without flooding or damage to our communities. Fill our rivers, lakes, wells and ground with the needed water we need. Send precipitation, moisture and rain that we long for. We ask all these things with expectant hearts in Jesus name, Amen!