Hutchinson Fire – July 27 Update

Magdalena Ranger District

Reported fire start date / time: July 23, 2023 / 1300.    Cause: Lightning Strike            Size: 425 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.

Strategy: Fire managers are managing the Hutchinson Fire using a confine and contain strategy.

Update: Crews will continue constructing control lines 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 and aerial ignition may occur to remove available fuels between the active fire and containment features. Firefighters continue to actively monitor the fire and are strategically initiating burnout operations.

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, Cochiti Pueblo Water Tender 83 and Sandia Helitack Type 3 Helicopter.

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: Scattered showers and thunderstorms after noon. Increasing clouds, with a high near 92. Northwest wind 5 to 15 mph becoming east in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation is 50%. New rainfall amounts of less than a tenth of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms. Tonight: Scattered showers and thunderstorms, mainly before 9 pm. Cloudy, then gradually becoming partly cloudy, with a low around 65. West wind 10 to 15 mph becoming southeast 5 to 10 mph after midnight. Chance of precipitation is 50%. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms. https://www.weather.gov/

Hutchinson Fire updates will be posted on the  Cibola NF & NGs website, New Mexico Fire Information website, inciweb.nwcg.gov and the Cibola NF & NGs Facebook  & Twitter pages.