September 23, 2023 
Mountainair Ranger District- September 23 UPDATE
Detection Date / Time: September 19, 2023 / 3 pm Cause: Lightning Size: 35acres Containment: 0%
Location: Approximately 12 miles west of the village of Corona and 1 mile north of Gallinas Lookout. The fire is
burning within the 2004 Lookout Fire burn scar in the Gallinas Unit of the Mountainair Ranger District.
Strategy: Confine and contain.
Fire Behavior: Low to moderate with mostly backing and flanking and occasional isolated torching.
Fuels: Heavy to moderate dead and down, Slash, Ponderosa Pine, grass and shrubs.
Fire managers are managing the Buford 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 Road 102 as well as utilize old bulldozer lines that were established during the 2004 Lookout Fire as part of the containment line, keeping the fire within the identified planning area. Additional use of hand and aerial 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.
Resources On Scene: Type 3 Incident Management Team is on scene and will assume command of the fire at 7am tomorrow morning. 5 Engines, 4 Bulldozers, 3 Water Tenders, 1 Type 1 Hotshot Crew, 1 Type 2 Initial Attack Crew, 1 Ambulance, 1 Type 3 Helicopter and various miscellaneous overhead.
Values at risk: Communication sites on Gallinas Peak and private land are in the vicinity but the fire is not currently threatening any private property or communication sites. There are no evacuations in effect.
Smoke will be visible from US Highways 60, 42 and 54.
Weather for Central NM: Tonight: Partly cloudy with a 0% chance of showers and a low temperature of 54 degrees. West to northwest winds are predicted at about 11mph. Tomorrow: Sunny with a high temperature of 79 degrees with winds from 15-18mph predicted. weather.gov
Safety: The health and safety of firefighters and the public are always the first priority. Members of the public should stay away from 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-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 airnow.gov, which allows you to zoom into areas to see the latest smoke conditions.
All fire updates will be posted on the Cibola NF & NGs website, New Mexico Fire Information website, Inciweb and the Cibola NF & NGs Facebook & Twitter pages.
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