Wolf Draw Fire Update – June 7

Start date:  May 29, 2021

Location:  Approximately 30 miles north of Cuba and 11 miles northwest of Regina on the Cuba Ranger District of the Santa Fe National Forest (SFNF), Rio Arriba County

Cause:  Human. The Wolf Draw Fire was caused by an illegal abandoned campfire that escaped the fire ring over the Memorial Day weekend. The west side of the SFNF is currently under Stage 1 fire restrictions, which prohibit dispersed campfires.

Size:  712 acres                                   

Percent Contained:  75%

Resources:  2 hand crews and 1 Type 3 helicopter

Fuels:  Ponderosa pine and mixed conifer

Operations:  The Northern New Mexico Type 3 Incident Management Team turned command of the Wolf Draw Fire over to a local Type 4 team at 6 a.m. this morning. Today, crews continued implementing both mop-up and suppression repair. Firefighters are also monitoring fire behavior, which is for the most part creeping and smoldering through vegetation on the ground.

Weather: A warming, drying trend with above-normal temperatures and decreasing humidity recovery is forecast for the area. Dry, hot and unstable conditions are expected through the week with the possibility of moisture returning next weekend.

Objectives: The health and safety of firefighters and the public are always the first priority. Other objectives  on the Wolf Draw Fire include limiting fire impacts on cultural resources, oil and gas infrastructure, private property, canyon ecosystems and Mexican spotted owl habitat.

Smoke:  Minimal smoke impacts are expected from the Wolf Draw Fire due to its remote location. Depending on fire behavior, smoke may be visible in the Dulce area. 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, Inciweb and on the SFNF Facebook and Twitter.

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