San Gregorio Fire Update July 14, 2020

Public should avoid San Gregorio Trailhead, San Gregorio Reservoir until Friday

Start date: July 11, 2020

Cause: Under investigation

Size: Approximately 7.8 acres

Location: Cuba Ranger District on the Santa Fe National Forest, approximately 1 mile from the San Gregorio Trailhead parking lot on Forest Road 70 and approximately 9 miles from Cuba, NM.

Containment: 100%. This will be the final update on the San Gregorio Fire unless conditions change significantly.

Fuels: Heavy fuels with a high concentration of dead and down timber and mixed conifer. Slopes range from level forest floor to steep, rocky terrain.

Weather: Temperatures and humidities over the area will remain the same with isolated showers and thunderstorms possible in the afternoon. There is a 10-20% chance of precipitation today with a high of 80° and humidity in the 20-24% range. Winds will be out of the west at 8-15 mph. A backdoor front will bring good chances for wetting storms late Wednesday, and high pressure to the east of New Mexico will increase monsoon moisture over the state.

Resources on scene: 29 personnel on the ground, including one Type 3 engine and two hand crews.

Values at risk: San Pedro Parks Wilderness in the vicinity of San Gregorio Reservoir.

Strategy: The strategy for the San Gregorio Fire is full suppression. The fire was called 100% contained yesterday, and firefighters will continue to secure the perimeter today as they work their way into the fire’s interior. Mop-up operations will continue into Wednesday with operations expected to ramp down on Thursday.

Safety: Members of the public should stay away from the San Gregorio Trailhead and parking lot and avoid all trails within a mile of San Gregorio Reservoir through Thursday so they do not interfere with fire operations. Drones pose a serious risk to firefighting and can cause air operations to cease. The public is reminded that “If you fly, we can’t!”

Smoke is likely to be visible across the southern end of the Cuba Ranger District. Smoke-sensitive individuals and people with respiratory problems or heart disease are encouraged to take precautionary measures. Information on air quality and protecting your health can be found online at the New Mexico Department of Health (NMDOH) Environmental Public Health Tracking (EPHT) website at https://nmtracking.org/fire.

Fire updates will be posted on the New Mexico Fire Information website and on the Santa Fe National Forest Facebook page and Twitter @SantafeNF.

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