Lincoln National Forest- Smokey Bear Ranger District- Lone Mountain Fire Update 5/28/2019

Incident Name – Lone Mountain Fire

Jurisdiction: Lincoln National Forest, Smokey Bear Ranger District

Size: 5 acres

Cause: Lightning

Date/Time Detected: May 26, 2019

Location: 6 miles north of White Oaks, NM. North of Hogback Ridge.

Lat/Long: 33.80809, -105.7386

Legal Description: T6S, R12E, SESW Sec 1

Firefighting Resources: 1 Incident Hotshot Crew, 1 Type-6 Engine

Fuel Type:  Pinon/Juniper with Grass

Values at Risk: Private lands to the east

Fire Update: The Lone Mountain Fire is located about 6 miles north of White Oaks near Hogback Ridge on the Smokey Bear Ranger District of the Lincoln National Forest and is currently estimated at 5 acres. The fire is currently sheltered from the prevailing winds and therefore fire behavior is low intensity. In addition, temperatures dipped overnight, which calmed the fire. Temperatures today are expected to be moderate at 65 degrees with winds around 10-15 miles per hour. Higher humidity levels and possible rain are forecasted for later this week.

A lightning strike started the Lone Mountain Fire allowing fire managers to reduce the number of pinon/juniper trees, which in turn reduces the amount of fuel on the ground and create the space for more grass to grow.

The Lone Mountain Fire is in a unique and ideal location for a confine-and-contain tactic. Unlike much of district which has a high level of wildland-urban interface, this remote area has limited structures. The area is surrounded by existing Forest Service Roads and ridgelines which act as barriers for the fire. There is no public access into this area due to the private land; therefore there are no closure orders in effect right now.

Currently, one 20-person hotshot crew and one 3-man engine are assigned to the fire. Fire activity in the region is relatively low, which means additional engines, crews and aircraft are available to support this incident should they be needed.

Currently smoke impacts are limited; however, smoke may become visible from Carrizozo, White Oaks and surrounding areas. Fire management is always done with public and firefighter safety as the number one priority.

Fire Map: LoneMountainPIOFireMap_May 27 2019_NMLNF

You can expect another post on the Lone Mountain Fire this evening.

Please visit the NM Department of Health’s smoke page for information on protecting your health during fires and on smoky days.https://nmtracking.org/fire.

PIO: Laura Rabon, 575-434-7290 laura.rabon@usda.gov