May 28, 2018 
Incident Name – Kellar Fire
Fire Update: 5/28/2018, 6:00 pm
Jurisdiction: Lincoln National Forest, Guadalupe Ranger District
Date/Time Detected: 5/22/2018, 9:52am
Location: North of Queen, NM
Lat/Long: Lat: 32°,12′,42.92″, Lon: 104°,40′,45.47″
Legal Description: T24S, R22E, SWSW Sec 14
Firefighting Resources: Type 3 Incident Management Team, 3 Hot Shot Crews, 2 Type-3 Engines, 5 Type-6 Engines, 2 Water Tenders, 1 Helicopter Module. Total Personnel: 128
Values at Risk: Community of Queen, NM, Sitting Bull Falls Recreation Area, Forage
Hazards: Heat, Terrain
Fuels: Pinon/Juniper, brush and grass
Size: 43 acres
Containment: 0%
Cause: Lightning
Structures Threatened: 403 (mostly in Queen, NM)
Closures: See attached Closure Order for details.
- Forest Service Road 276 at Eddy County Road 409 junction (Sitting Bull Gate)
- Forest Service Road 277-C at Forest Service Road 277
- Forest Service Road 68 at NM-Hwy 137 junction
- Forest Service Road 525 at NM-Hwy 137 junction
- Sitting Bulls Falls Day Use Area and all Sitting Bulls Falls trail systems
5/28/18, 6:00 pm Status:
Ignition operations will begin tomorrow, May 29, 2018, on the Kellar Incident, being managed by the Pecos Zone Type III Team. A smoke column will be visible throughout the day as 2,900 acres of Pinon/Juniper have been identified/anticipated, to be involved in the fire. It is also anticipated that Wednesday, May 30, 2018, as many as an additional 2,800 acres of Pinon/Juniper will receive fire and once again produce a smoke column that will be visible.
Fire officials would like to remind the public of preparatory initiatives undertaken the past few operational periods on the incident to enhance controllability of the Kellar wildfire.
Closures: Beginning tomorrow, May 29, Sitting Bull Falls will be closed at Forest Service Road 276 and Eddy County Road junction 409 (Sitting Bull first gate) for public safety, during operations. The 68 and 525 road systems as well as road 277-C, will also be closed. The restricted area is bounded on the north at Last Chance Canyon, on the south at, but not including, NM-Hwy 137, on the west along and including Forest Service Road 525, and on the east along and including Forest Road 68. Signs will be posted to inform potential visitors these locations will be inaccessible. The Sitting Bull Falls trail system will be closed as well until deemed safe by fire operations personnel for public re-entry.
Please view the official Kellar Fire Closure Order for more information.
Regarding smoke, in the event of a prescribed fire or wildfire: If visibility becomes lower because of smoke, please visit the NM Department of Health’s smoke page: https://nmtracking.org/fire
PIO: Linda Wallace, 575-937-1307, nmkellarfire@gmail.com
NM Fire Info 
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