Floridas Fire Update – July 18, 2023

Location: 15 miles south of Deming, NM I Size: 364 acres I Containment: 0%

Personnel: 30 I Start Date: July 14, 2023 I Cause: Lightning

Fuels: Grass, Desert shrubs, Juniper trees

Deming, NM – The Floridas Fire has grown to 364 acres mostly due to overnight growth on the 17th, however the fire behavior was minimal yesterday as the fire “boxed” itself into an area surrounded by large rock outcrops. The moderated fire behavior resulted in a decrease in smoke emissions throughout the day. A Heat Advisory remains in effect until midnight on Wednesday. Temperatures of 102 to 108 are expected. These weather conditions, combined with available fuel such as grass, shrubs and trees can result in additional fire growth. As the Floridas Fire grows and spreads across the landscape, it leaves a “footprint” that indicates where the fire has burned and how intense the heat was as it burned through a specific area. The fire “size” reflects total number of acres burned, cumulatively, since the fire was first detected.

The Bureau of Land Management Las Cruces District has mobilized wildland fire apparatus and 30 wildland firefighters to the Floridas Fire. They are constantly monitoring the fire and assessing areas to pre-position firefighting engines and crews, should the fire spread westward onto the foothills along the western slope of the Florida Mountains. A helicopter provides support by assessing the fire behavior and growth from an aerial perspective. Rick Rios, BLM Incident Commander on the Floridas Fire, said, “We extend our appreciation to Luna County and City of Deming Emergency Responders who provided their resources and support during the first two days of the Floridas Fire. These critical resources have been released so that they may continue to perform their duties as emergency responders to their respective response areas.”

Evacuations: There are NO EVACUATIONS at this time.

Road Closure Status: There are NO ROAD CLOSURES associated with the Floridas Fire.

Residual Smoke: Expected to settle into lower elevations. Residents who live near the Floridas Fire area are advised to close their windows, especially at night. Smoke sensitive individuals who want to learn more should follow recommendations at NMFireInfo Smoke Management

Aviation Restrictions: There is no Temporary Flight Restriction (TFR) over the Floridas Fire at this time.

Daily Fire Updates will be posted on NMFireInfo

Floridas Fire Information:  575-323-1533 8 am – 8 pm; email Loretta_Benavidez@firenet.gov