June 23, 2019 
A community meeting is planned for tonight, June 24th, 6:30 pm at the Capitan Traylor Gymnasium
Incident Name – Pine Lodge Fire
Jurisdiction: Lincoln National Forest, Smokey Bear Ranger District
Size: 7,898 acres
Containment: 0%
Containment Strategy: Full Suppression
Cause: Unknown, Under Investigation
Date/Time Detected: June 19, 2019, at approximately 2:00 pm
General Location: Off Highway 246 about 4 miles up Forest Service Road 130 near the Capitan Mountain Wilderness
Lat/Long: Lat: 33°, 37′ 28.6″ Long:-105°, 14′, 40″
Legal Description: T8S, R17E, SESE Sec 10
Total Personnel: Approx. 328
Fuel Type: Grass, Pinyon-Juniper, Mix Conifer
Values at Risk: Radio Towers, Cabins, 15 Structures in the Arabela area.
Fire activity: Excellent work was done on the Pine Lodge Fire on Sunday as firefighters attempt to build a “catcher’s mitt” on three sides of the fire. On the eastern flank, aided by aerial retardant drops, firefighters constructed fire control line directly on the fire’s edge. Structure protection assessments were conducted around the hunter’s cabin area and in Arabela to protect values to the east. To the north, burnout operations were conducted along NM State Road 246 (Pine Lodge Road) westerly to FS 163C on the north-northeast flank of the fire. Today, winds are predicted to begin blowing from the southeast. Firefighters have been getting out ahead of the wind shift by preparing fireline on FS 256 (Seven Cabin Road) to contain fire spread to the northwest of the current perimeter. The weather change can be a positive in aiding with containment efforts on the east flank, allowing firefighters to more safely construct fire control line directly on the fire edge. Firefighters continue to monitor fire activity in the wilderness area.
Safety: As more fire crews are arriving in the Capitan area, please use caution around the fire area. Expect a continued high volume of vehicle traffic in and around Capitan.
Weather: A northwesterly fire spread is expected today as winds are predicted out of the southeast.
Values: Firefighter and public safety are always the highest priorities in managing this incident. The fire area also includes multiple cabins/residences, communication structures, archeological and historical sites, and the unique wilderness characteristics of the Capitan Mountains Wilderness.
Road and Area Closures: NM State Road 246 remains closed from Capitan to Roswell. Local residents will be allowed to access their home or property. An area closure is in place for Capitan Mountains east of Capitan Gap Road until further notice. All trail systems and Forest Service roads within the closure area are closed to public use. West Mountain is open for recreation. The official closure information and map is posted on the Pine Lodge Fire Inciweb page: Inciweb.nwcg.gov.
InciWeb https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/6397 – Pine Lodge Fire
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/LincolnNF/
NM Fire Info 
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