Middle Mesa Fire Update – Aug. 14

Fire complexity decreases as containment nears 100%

Acres: 5,031
Start Date: August 1, 2025 
Location: 22 mi. west of Dulce, NM 
Cause: Lightning 
Personnel: 337
Fuels: Timber and brush 
Containment: 92% 
Resources:  5 crews | 21 engines | 1 helicopters | 1 bulldozers | 8 water tenders

Highlights:  Thanks to a significant decrease in fire activity and substantial containment efforts, Southwest Incident Management Team 3 will transfer command of the Middle Mesa Fire back to the Carson National Forest as a Type 4 incident at end of shift tonight.

Operations: After nearly two weeks of hard work in challenging weather and difficult terrain, containment is now established across most of the fire. Firefighters continue securing the fire’s edge where containment has not been reached. The fire has stayed within its footprint with no additional growth to report over the last few days. Firefighters report very minimal activity as they continue their patrols across the fire perimeter. Pockets of unburned fuel continue to burn off but that interior activity has no impact to established containment lines. Across most of the fire, suppression has transitioned to repair work to provide mitigation for potential erosion and to ensure there are no ramifications to the landscape from the suppression activities. As of 6pm today, Southwest Incident Management Team 3 will transfer command of the incident back to the Carson National Forest as a Type 4 incident. A Type 4 incident is of a decreased complexity and manageability. Many of the resources have been demobilized off the incident to return to their home units for rest prior to their next assignment. Southwest Incident Management Team 3 would like to thank the communities of Northern New Mexico and Southern Colorado for their support and cooperation through the duration of this incident.

Weather: Dry thunderstorm chances remain 25% to 50% each afternoon/evening this week, highest on Friday and Saturday. Daytime westerlies gusting 25-30 mph. Minimum relative humidity stays in the upper single digits to mid-teens each afternoon.  

Smoke: For smoke information:  https://www.env.nm.gov/air-quality/fire-smoke-links/

Closures: There are no forest closures in effect. However, out of public and firefighter safety the public is urged not to go into the fire area. 

Evacuations: None

Safety: A Temporary Flight Restriction (TFR) is in effect across the fire area. Fires are a no drone zone. If you fly – we can’t. Flying a drone into a fire area is dangerous and poses a serious threat to aerial and ground operations and the public.