Seco Fire Increases Containment

August 8, 2020 Update

Grants, NM – For Immediate Release – Crews had another successful day yesterday on the Seco Fire on the Mt. Taylor Ranger District.  The fire showed very slight growth with continued creeping and isolated torching within the fire perimeter.  The fire is now 30% contained.  Today crews will work hard to secure very tricky containment lines in challenging terrain.  Crews are having to build what is called a cup trench which is a fireline trench on the downhill side of fire burning on steep slopes. This trench is built deep enough to catch rolling firebrands that could otherwise start fire below the fireline. This is very hard and time consuming work but necessary to keep firelines secure and crews safe. Helicopters continue to aid firefighters on the ground with strategically placed water drops. Firefighters will again be closely watching for afternoon thunderstorms which could bring erratic winds to the area.

The incident management team is working to fully suppress this fire burning on Forest Service land and is working closely with local cooperators.

Weather: Partly cloudy in the morning with a 20% chance of scattered showers in the afternoon. Temperatures around 75°-79° with humidity in the upper teens to low 20’s. Winds will be from the northwest at 5-7 mph.

Safety: Safety of the public and firefighters is always the top priority in wildland fire operations. Seco Fire operations include best management practices to prevent the spread of COVID-19 within firefighter crews/operations and within the general public.

No Drone Zone: The public is reminded to avoid the use of unmanned aerial systems (drones) near wildfires. If drones are illegally flown over a fire, air operations could be suspended. When this happens, fire crews lose a valuable resource, which can adversely affect the safety and efficiency of the overall firefighting effort. Law enforcement can take action against a private citizen or commercial business illegally flying drones over a wildfire. For more information on drones, see https://www.fs.usda.gov/managing-land/fire/uas/if-you-fly, and Know Before You Fly!

Smoke: Smoke may be visible from I-40, and throughout the local area including the Laguna Reservation. Smoke may be monitored if necessary to assess potential health impacts, and the Forest Service will coordinate with the New Mexico Department of Transportation and the New Mexico Environment Department and Department of Health to issue any needed alerts. Additional information can be found at http://nmtracking.org/fire.

Closures: There are currently no closures in place but the public is asked to stay out of the fire area as there is heavy fire traffic. There is a 5-mile temporary flight restriction (TFR) over the fire area to protect pilots and firefighters.

Seco Fire Information: 505-506-1959, 2020.seco@firenet.gov

Inciweb: https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/6926/

New Mexico Fire Information: www.nmfireinfo.com

Facebook: Cibola National Forest & National Grasslands (@cibolanf) https://www.facebook.com/cibolanf/

Twitter: Cibola NF&Grasslands; (@Cibola_NF) https://twitter.com/cibola_nf?lang=en

###