Soldier Canyon Fire Morning Update 9:00AM

June 11, 2018 by Public Information Officer 0 Comments

Soldier Canyon Fire Morning Update – June 11, 2018 9:00am

Jurisdiction: Bureau of Indian Affairs, Mescalero Apache Reservation

Date/Time Detected: 6/7/2018 3:00 pm

Location: Soldier Canyon. 1 Mile North of the town of Mescalero

Firefighting Resources: 247 personnel total. 8 Type-1 Hotshot Crews, 1 Type-2 Hand Crew,

14 Engines, 1 Type-1 Helicopter, 1 Type-2 Helicopter, 2 Type-3 Helicopters. Fixed-wing aircraft available as needed.

Fuel Type: Ponderosa Pine, Mixed Conifer, Pinon Juniper

Size: Approx. 1,300 Acres (Acreage numbers updated after more accurate mapping.)

Containment: 28%

Cause: Human-caused, under investigation.

Closures: Highway 70 is open. Mescalero Apache Tribe has issued an official closure order for the fire area for the safety of the public.

All operating divisions on the fire have transitioned from building fire line to mop up, holding and securing the fire line. The fire line around the perimeter of the fire is complete and the crews are beginning to assess the area for rehabilitation work.

A Burned Area Emergency Response (BAER) Team will begin evaluating the fire area. They will look for ways to stabilize and repair the area. They will work with local resource specialists to protect culturally significant areas.

The weather forecast indicates the current drying trend will continue into midweek. An increase in atmospheric moisture is anticipated later in the week which may help reduce fire activity.

Islands of unburned fuels exist within the fire perimeter. Residents may see small columns of smoke during the day until significant moisture arrives with the onset of monsoon season in early July.

Plans are underway to transition the fire from the current Type 1 Incident Management Team to the Pecos Zone Type 3 Incident Management Team. This transition is scheduled to occur tomorrow morning.

Residents and visitors traveling Highway 70 past the fire are urged to be alert to the presence of heavy fire equipment using the road. Please proceed with caution.

Beginning today Fire Information will issue an update once daily each morning.

If you are concerned about air quality, please visit the NM Department of Health’s smoke page at https://www.env.nm.gov/air-quality/fire-smoke-links/

PUBLIC INFORMATION NUMBER (575) 322-8792, email: SoldierCanyonFire@gmail.com