Gila National Forest – Baca Fire June 5, 2017 @ 1300

Baca Fire, June 5, 2017 at 1300
Location: Quemado Ranger District on the Gila National Forest 6 miles northeast of Quemado Lake, Catron County, NM
Start Date: May 12, 2017 Size: 8,800 acres Cause: Lightning
Vegetation: Ponderosa Pine, grass, and mixed conifer
Smoke: Smoke is visible within the surrounding area of Quemado, Horse Springs and Pie Town, NM.
Resources: 1 Wildland Fire Module, 1 Hot Shot Crew and 4 Type 6 Engines.
Containment: 14% Incident Commander Type 4: Justin Romero
Summary: The Baca Fire continues to burn on National Forest lands. The fire is being managed to protect values while balancing exposure to fire personnel and the public, utilizing a confine and contain strategy and tactics for the highest probability for success. There are no immediate values at risk in the fire area. Values surrounding the fire include private property, Quemado Lake Recreation Area, range improvement infrastructure and mixed conifer vegetation.
Forecasted moisture that was predicted has not materialized over the Baca Fire. Yesterday fire activity led to firing operations south along FR13 to Salvador Canyon to keep the fire within the identified confinement area.
Today fire personnel will continue to monitor the fire, and may initiate firing operations to further secure confinement lines.
Until morning inversion lifts, travelers should take extra precautions due to potentially low visibility. While residual smoke may be detected, the average air quality is now Moderate. Information on air quality and protecting your health can be found at the New Mexico Department of Health https://nmtracking.org/fire.
CLOSURES REMAIN IN EFFECT: FR13 from El Caso Campground to FR93 on Slaughter Mesa and east on FR93 to county road A095 are closed due to concerns for public and fire personnel safety.
A segment of the CDT – from Dead Horse Canyon north to Hwy 60 is closed due to increased fire activity. Please check with Quemado RD 575-773-4678 for maps of closure and suggested alterative reroute.
Fire information can be found at https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/ or nmfireinfo.com.
For information on the Gila National Forest, check out our website at http://www.fs.usda.gov/gila or join the conversation on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/GilaNForest/ or on Twitter @GilaNForest.