Rim Fire Update 8/18

Location: On the north side of New Mexico Highway 511, approximately one mile south of the Colorado border. The area is entirely on BLM-managed lands.  

Reported start date: Aug. 13, 2023 at 7 p.m.  

Size: Approximately 70 acres 

Containment: A percentage of containment has not been set as this fire is being managed for resource benefits but crews are making progress tying the fire into prepared lines and roads.  

Cause:  Lightning strike.   

Vegetation: Piñon and juniper woodland  

Fire Behavior: The Rim Fire will see increased activity in late morning and afternoon as burning operations take place to secure the fire perimeter.   

Resources: The Bureau of Land Management responded to this effort along with two contracted 20-person crews.  

Safety: The health and safety of firefighters and the public are always the priority. Members of the public should avoid stopping when passing by the Rim Fire.

Smoke:  Smoke will be visible from Ignacio, Colo., Navajo Dam, N.M. and N.M. Highway 511. 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 is available online at the New Mexico Department of Health (NMDOH) Environmental Public Health Tracking (EPHT) website nmtracking.org   

Weather: Today: High temperature in upper 80s.  Chance of precipitation is 15 percent. For more weather information, visit  https://www.weather.gov/ .  

Additional Information: Crews successfully completed burn operations on Thursday and will continue today using prepared control lines and existing roads for firing operations. Smoke will be visible from surrounding areas. This lightning-ignited fire is being managed to benefit wildlife habitat and reduce fire risk in the area. The objectives are to reduce the amount of encroaching piñon-juniper woodlands and promote the abundance of mountain mahogany and Gambel’s oakbrush for wildlife habitat during the winter months.

For More Info:  NMFireInfo.com or NMFireInfo on Facebook  

Media: trigby@blm.gov, 505-264-5699