Las Tusas – San Miguel County – Update #1

May 10, 2023 by GDucker 0 Comments

Update 8 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.

Weather: Red Flag Warnings are in effect until 8 p.m. this evening, and today’s heavy winds contributed to the fire’s spread. 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 recommended 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. HWY 518 and 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.