June 14, 2018 
Soldier Canyon Fire Morning Update – June 14, 2018
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: 293 Personnel total. 6 Type-1 Hotshot Crews, 2 Type-2 Hand Crew,
2 Camp Crews, 1 Type-1 Helicopter, 1 Type-2 Helicopter, 1 Type-3 Helicopter. Fixed-wing aircraft as needed.
Incident Commander: Travis Pfister, Ken Roberts (trainee)
Fuel Type: Ponderosa Pine, Mixed Conifer, Pinon Juniper
Size: Approx. 1,300 Acres
Containment: 90%
Cause: Human-caused, under investigation.
Closures: Mescalero Apache Tribe has issued an official closure order for the fire area for public safety.
Firefighters completed containment lines on the Soldier Canyon Fire yesterday. Crews are patrolling the fireline and mopping-up hotspots within the fire’s perimeter. The fire area received light rains yesterday.
The Pecos Zone Type III Incident Management Team assumed command of the fire yesterday.
A Burned Area Emergency Response (BAER) Team is working with resource advisors and firefighters to protect cultural resources and erosion-prone areas from damage caused by rains predicted for the area. They are coordinating with Tribal representatives and the Flood Response Group to fill and place sandbags and K-Rails (cement barriers) in Soldier Canyon around affected homes and directly below the fire area.
Clear skies today are expected to give way to thunderstorms this afternoon and evening. Hurricane Bud off the Mexico coast is weakening as it progresses north toward New Mexico. However, heavy rains associated with this storm may cause mudslides and severe flooding in the fire area in the coming days.
Residents living on the north side of Highway 70 are advised to prepare for possible evacuations in the event flooding becomes imminent. Residents are advised to stay closely informed as this weather pattern develops.
Tips for flood preparation can be found at https://www.ready.gov/floods
PUBLIC INFORMATION NUMBER (575) 322-8792, email: SoldierCanyonFire@gmail.com
NM Fire Info 
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