Coyote Fire Update: Ignitions protect cabins; increase forest sustainability

Saturday May 14, 2016
Fire: Coyote Fire                                           
Total Personnel: 332
Acres: 12,500
Start Date: May 7, 2016                                                                                
Cause: Lightning                                           
Location: 46 miles SW of Carlsbad, NM          
Containment: 30%
Fuels/Topography: Grass/brush/chaparral, rugged terrain                                                              

Yesterday: Fire managers took advantage of highly favorable weather conditions to conduct hand ignitions around Pinetop and Bowl Cabins as well as a weather station in the Park. These ignitions reduced dried grasses and other flammable material from around these structures. Crews also conducted approximately 2,500 acres of aerial ignitions, placing low-intensity fire along the ridge tops from Bush Mountain east toward Hunter Peak.

“Interior ignitions will help us have a healthier, more sustainable forest,” said John Montoya, Fire Management Officer for the Guadalupe Mountains National Park. “Our white pine and conifer forests historically experienced fire every nine to sixteen years. However, much of the forest surrounding The Bowl had not seen fire in nearly 100 years.”

These interior ignitions will also help reduce fuel loads of woody debris across the park as the fire progresses towards full containment.

Today: Crews will continue to monitor the progress the fire as weather safely allows. Fire managers anticipate little new fire growth with rain showers and thunderstorms over much of the fire area throughout the day.

Smoke: Smoke will disperse to the north with little to no impacts. For more information on smoke and air quality please visit: https://nmtracking.org/fire

Closures: Dog Canyon, Devil’s Hall Trail, Frijole Trail, Foothill Trail and all backcountry areas of the Park will remain CLOSED until further notice. Park areas remaining open are Guadalupe Peak Trail, El Capitan, and Smith Spring Trail.

Fire Information:

Coyote Fire Information No. (575) 616-7901
Inciweb:  inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/4719
Text Message: text “follow GuadalupeMtnsNP” to 40404
Facebook: facebook.com/guadalupe.mountains
Twitter: twitter.com/GuadalupeMtnsNP

Smoke rises near Pine Spring Canyon as crews conduct aerial ignition on May 13, 2016. Crews also conducted approximately 2,500 acres of aerial ignitions, placing low-intensity fire along the ridge tops from Bush Mountain east toward Hunter Peak.