Gila National Forest – Update for Cub Fire – July 13, 2020

Location:  Approximately one-mile northeast of Cub Mountain, near the West Fork of the Gila River, Wilderness Ranger District, Gila National Forest.

Start Date:  June 28, 2020                 Cause:  Lightning                    Size:  ~22,862 acres

Vegetation:  grass, brush, and multiple snags          IC: Ty Oliver, ICT4

Strategy/Summary: The Cub Fire is burning on National Forest System lands on the Wilderness Ranger District, Gila National Forest. The fire is progressing north, northeast, and west.  There is some progression towards the southeast and remains two (2) miles east of the Mogollon-Baldy Lookout. A precautionary action was taken over the weekend and the lookout was moved out, and the cabin was wrapped due to the proximity to active fire. Wildland firefighter crews continue to prep trail #171 to the junction with trail #172 to the north and west. The fire remains 11 miles northwest of the Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument. The Gila-Las Cruces Type 3 Incident Management Team (IMT) will be taking command of the fire today at 6:00 p.m.

Weather: Weather continues to be hot and dry, with expectations of delay in monsoonal rains until the third week of July.  A heat advisory remains in effect for southwest New Mexico today through Wednesday.  Fire activity will remain high today however scattered thunderstorm development could reduce burning conditions in some areas. Smoke:  The Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument will continue to experience smoke impacts during early morning and overnight hours. Smoke from the fire rises up and away during the daytime, but in the evenings, smoke can pool back down in canyons, drainages, and basins.  For information on air quality and protecting your health, and to find guidance on distances and visibility, please visit https://nmtracking.org/fire. Fire information is available on Inciweb at  https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/6819/

For information on the Gila National Forest, check out our website at: https://www.fs.usda.gov/gila or join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.