Las Tusas – San Miguel County – 2 #nmfire

May 10, 2023 by GDucker 0 Comments

Update 11 p.m. 5/10/23: The Las Tusas fire has grown to 1,000 acres and is at zero percent containment. Multiple structures have been burned and evacuations are still in place.

Upon initial attack, the fire was running significantly and managed to jump NM 266. Crews have been working on structure protection and stopping the fire’s potential spread. Simultaneously, crews are working to contain all flanks of the fire. Darkness brought a decrease in windspeed and temperatures, which is proving beneficial to firefighting efforts. Multiple resources and personnel are on the scene, and the exact number will be updated once that information comes in.

Tomorrow morning, a Type 3 Incident Management Team will assume management of the fire at 0600. Multi-Mission Aircraft has been ordered from Colorado to provide infrared and video intelligence. This will be the last notification of the evening.

Weather: The recent stretch of critical fire weather conditions will continue in some areas through Thursday, with winds estimated to reach 40 -55 mph.

Evacuations: Evacuations are in place for Highway 94 residents from Canoncito to the intersection of Highway 266 and 94.

– Abe Montoya Recreation Center, 1751 N Grand Ave, Las Vegas, NM 87701.

– Storrie Lake State Park, 3 Esequiel C De Baca LN, Las Vegas, NM 87701

Closures: NM 94 and NM 266 has been closed to incoming traffic. County Road A4A is also closed.

Smoke: Individuals sensitive to wildfire smoke should take precautions and use the New Mexico Department of Health 5-3-1 Visibility Method to determine if it’s safe to be outside. Learn more at https://nmtracking.org/environment/air/FireAndSmoke.html. An interactive smoke map at https://fire.airnow.gov/ allows you to zoom into your area to see the latest smoke conditions.

Start Date & Time: 5/10/2023 1350

Start Location: near HWY 94, northwest of Sapello

Latitude: 35.7874

Longitude: -105.2808

Cause of Fire: Under investigation

Area Vegetation: pinon, heavy grass, mixed conifer, ponderosa

Estimated Acres Burned: 1000

Ownership(s): Private

Structures Threatened: Yes

Structures Burned: Yes

Evacuations: Yes

Update 7:20 p.m. 5/10/23: The Las Tusas fire is located near HWY 94, west of Sapello in San Miguel County and was discovered around 4 p.m. this afternoon. The fire is running through pinon/juniper, mixed conifer, ponderosa and heavy grass. It is estimated at 100-200 acres and the cause is under investigation.

A Type-3 incident management team has been ordered. Structures have been burned, and multiple structures are threatened. Evacuations are recommended for residents along HWY 94. Forestry Division, local agencies and Forestry Service are on scene and engaged. Dozers are on scene putting in containment lines, and crews are working on structure protection in the surrounding area.