Organ Fire – Doña Ana County – 06/28/18

The Organ Fire is estimated at 4,300 acres and 15% contained.  The fire is burning on the White Sands Missile Range (WSMR), Department of Defense land, in Doña Ana County.  Burnout operations will be conducted today in and around Mineral Hill to control the fires growth.  This will likely produce additional smoke, which will visible from the surrounding area, including Las Cruces and the Mesilla Valley.  Crews will continue to monitor and provide point protection for structures on WSMR and additional values at risk, including area archaeological sites.  Multiple resources from the Bureau of Land Management, US Forest Service, WSMR, and NASA are fighting this fire.  It started Sunday (06/24) off of Highway 70 near San Augustine Pass, 10 miles northeast of Las Cruces.

Latitude: 34 deg, 44 min, 5 sec 
Longitude: -106 deg, 54 min,  4 sec
% Contained: 15% 
Structures Threatened: Archaeological sites and WSMR training facility
Ownership(s): Federal (WSMR) and Private
Estimated Acres Burned:  4,300

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

Contacts:
Rico Smith
PIO, Bureau of Land Management
esmith@blm.gov

Wendy Mason
Wildfire Prevention & Communications Coordinator
New Mexico State Forestry
wendy.mason@state.nm.us