New Fire Start on SFNF: Medio Fire

Public should avoid Rio en Medio Trailhead, Nambe Reservoir

Start date: Aug. 17, 2020         Cause: Unknown          Size: 5+ acres

Location: Off the Rio en Medio Trail on the Española Ranger District on the Santa Fe National Forest, approximately 2 miles east/southeast of Nambe Reservoir and 5 miles north/northwest of the Santa Fe Ski Basin.

Containment: 0%

Fuels and fire behavior: The Medio Fire is burning in ponderosa pine and mixed conifer in steep, rocky terrain. The fire is exhibiting active fire behavior with isolated torching.

Weather: Above normal temperatures with humidities in the teens, partly cloudy with scattered showers and thunderstorms possible in the afternoon. Winds are out of the northwest at 5-15 mph.

Resources on scene: Firefighters from the Española Ranger District, Northern Pueblos Agency and Tesuque Pueblo are on scene with additional resources en route, including a Type 3 helicopter for aerial suppression and a Type 1 hotshot crew.

Values at risk: The Medio Fire is within a few miles of Nambe and Tesuque Pueblos as well as small communities in the area, including Chupadero and Rio en Medio.  There are currently no structures at risk.

Strategy: The strategy for the Medio Fire is full suppression.

Safety: The health and safety of firefighters and the public are always the first priority. Firefighters are conducting operations under protocols to mitigate the risk of COVID-19. Members of the public should stay away from fire operations and staging areas, including the Rio en Medio Trailhead and Nambe Reservoir.  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 within a 50-mile radius of the Medio Fire. 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 SFNF website, New Mexico Fire Information website and on the Santa Fe National Forest Facebook page and Twitter @SantafeNF.

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