July 28, 2023 
Magdalena Ranger District
Reported fire start date / time: July 23, 2023 / 1:00 p.m.
Cause: Lightning Size: 2,816 acres. Containment: 20%.
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.
Strategy: Fire crews are managing the Hutchinson Fire using a confine and contain strategy.
Update: Crews have completed blacklining fire operations with hand ignitions along Forest Roads 94, 96 and 478 to keep the fire within the identified planning area. Air ignitions may continue tomorrow to burn remaining interior vegetation. This fire is located on the southwest boundary of the 2022 Bear Trap Fire where crews are using existing fire lines.
On Scene: Type 3 Incident Commander, Magdalena RD Crew 3 & Engine 631, Wallowa-Whitman NF Engine 653, 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.
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. Mostly sunny, with a high near 92. Southeast wind 5 to 10 mph. 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 midnight. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 65. South wind 5 to 10 mph becoming west after midnight. Chance of precipitation is 50%. New rainfall 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.
NM Fire Info 
Comments are closed.