Ignitions Completed on Triple Nickle Fire

Grants, NM; August 31, 2019 – For Immediate Release. The Triple Nickle Fire, located on the Mt. Taylor Ranger District, is a lightning caused fire that is being managed to meet multiple resource objectives. The fire has grown to an estimated 8,063 acres with 124 personnel assigned.

Fire crews completed aerial ignitions yesterday and will spend the weekend moping up hotspots and patrolling the fire perimeter. The Albuquerque Zone Incident Management Team will plan on transitioning command of the incident back to the Mt. Taylor Ranger District Type 4 organization on Monday. As fire operations decrease, crews and resources are expected to demobilize.

An alternate route for the Continental Divide Trail (CDT) was identified for the portion crossing the burn area. The re-route starts where the CDT intersects with Forest Road (FR) 451. It follows FR 451 west for a mile to FR 239. It follows FR 239 north for 7 miles and ties back in with the CDT a half mile north of Antelope Tank. Visitors should continue to utilize this re-route for safety purposes and to avoid interference with fire operations. The Mt. Taylor Ranger District will issue a notice when the burned area is safe for hikers to enter.

Smoke will continue to be monitored to assess potential health impacts, and the Forest Service will coordinate with the New Mexico Environment Department and Department of Health to issue any needed alerts.Additional information can be found at https://nmtracking.org/environment/air/FireAndSmoke.html.

For more information about the Triple Nickle Fire, please contact the Mt. Taylor Ranger District at 505-287-8833. You may also visit the New Mexico Fire Information website at https://nmfireinfo.com, Inciweb at https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/6531/, Twitter at @Cibola_NF, and Facebook at www.facebook.com/ cibolanf.

TRIPLE NICKLE FIRE STATISTICS

Start Date: August 4, 2019
Size: 8,063 acres
Location: Near the junction of Forest Service Road 239 and 555 Cause: Lightning