July 26, 2023 
Magdalena Ranger District
Reported fire start date / time: July 23, 2023 / 1300. Cause: Lightning Strike Size: 150 acres.
Location: Remote mountainous terrain of central west San Mateo Mts. on the Magdalena Ranger District – New Mexico on the Cibola National Forest & National Grasslands. See map attached.
Strategy: Fire managers are managing the Hutchinson Fire using a confine and contain strategy within a pre-determined perimeter as long as conditions allow crews to safely do so. We use predictive services tools and fire behavior models to guide our fire management decisions. The benefit of this strategy will be to reduce hazardous fuels, encourage the growth of native plants, increase species diversity in the understory, restore ecological balance and reduce the potential for future high-severity wildfires.
Crews will continue preparations along Forest Roads 94, 96 and 478 to be utilized as part of the containment line, keeping the fire within the identified planning area. Additional use of hand ignition operations may occur to reduce the potential for rapid fire spread toward containment features.
Wildlife biologists, range specialist and archaeologists are helping to ensure that natural and cultural resources are protected.
On Scene: Type 3 Incident Commander, Magdalena RD Crew 3 & Engine 631, Wallowa-Whitman NF Engine 653, Lewis & Clark NF Engine 661, Firestorm 5 Type 2IA Crew, NMFD Type 2IA Crew and air resources.
Fuels: Grass, timber and brush.
Containment: 0%.
Values at risk: The Hutchinson Fire is not a threat to any values at risk or communities, and there are no evacuations in effect.
Safety: The health and safety of firefighters and the public are always the first priority. There are no road closures at this time related to the Hutchinson Fire, but members of the public should avoid the area to allow for fire operations.
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 may be visible from NM 107 south of Magdalena, NM 52 south, Community of Dusty and within a 50-mile radius of the Hutchinson 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 nmtracking.org. An interactive smoke map is available at https://fire.airnow.gov/, which allows you to zoom into areas to see the latest smoke conditions.
Weather for Magdalena NM: Today: Isolated showers and thunderstorms after 4pm. Mostly sunny and hot, with a high near 100. Northwest wind 5 to 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%. Tonight: Isolated showers and thunderstorms before 1am. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 74. Northwest wind 5 to 15 mph becoming east after midnight. Chance of precipitation is 20%. https://www.weather.gov/
NM Fire Info 
Comments are closed.