August 22nd UPDATE on Vereda Blanca Fire

Mt. Taylor Ranger District

Vereda Blanca Fire Operations: Chipping operations continue along the northern and southern line of the fire. An engine and a hand crew conduct mop up where hot spots have been identified. Along the north section mastication is nearing completion. All crews are monitoring for hot spots and treating anything posing a risk to line composition. Thanks to a significant decrease in fire activity and increased containment efforts, the next update will be in the event of changing conditions.
Vereda Blanca Fire Reported start date / time: August 8, 2025 / 0731
Cause: Lightning.
Location: Northeast Mt Taylor Ranger District near Black Mesa and northeast of Grants, NM. See attached map.
Size: 1,307 acres. Strategy: Full suppression. Containment: 27%
Fire Behavior: Moderate. Fuels: Pinyon-juniper and ponderosa pine.
Resources: Firefighters from the USFS, BLM and contractors are on scene with aerial resources. 178 personnel.
Values at risk: The Vereda Blanca Fire is not a threat to any communities, and there are no evacuations in effect. Multiple sensitive cultural resources and potential wildlife habitat may be at risk.
Smoke: Smoke may be visible west of the surrounding areas of the Grants, Milan, Albuquerque, Santa Fe, Cuba and Jemez. An interactive smoke map at https://fire.airnow.gov allows you to zoom into areas to see the latest smoke conditions.
Safety: The health and safety of firefighters and the public are always the first priority. Members of the public should avoid the Vereda Blanca Fire area.
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!”
Weather forecast for Grants, NM: Showers and thunderstorms will develop along the high terrain after 1pm this afternoon then move southwest near the area through sunset. A direct hit may produce wetting rainfall along with strong outflow winds. Humidity recovery tonight will be good with light winds.
All fire information and updates will be posted on the inciweb.wildfire.gov, Cibola NF & NGs website, New
Mexico Fire Information website, and the Cibola NF & NGs Facebook & X pages.