Firefighters actively engaged in the Nacimiento Wildfire

The 17-acre wildfire is located in the Cuba Ranger District

Santa Fe National Forest (SFNF) fire managers were notified of a new wildfire start, named the Nacimiento Wildfire, on Sunday morning, March 22, 2026. The wildfire is in the Cuba Ranger District, located south of the Nacimiento Mine and south of New Mexico State Road 126. 

Fire crews are actively engaged in a direct extinguishment strategy on the 17-acre wildfire. Large Air Tankers (LAT) were ordered to drop retardant and slow forward progression. As hot and dry conditions persist, both forest service and state crews have focused their efforts on building containment line around the fire perimeter. 

Smoke is visible from Cuba, N.M. and surrounding communities. The cause of the wildfire is under investigation. The wildfire is burning through ponderosa pine, oak, pinyon-juniper, and fir. 

Updates will be provided on the SFNF website, NM Fire Information, Inciweb, and SFNF social media pages (Facebook and X). 

About the Forest Service: The USDA Forest Service has for more than 100 years brought people and communities together to answer the call of conservation. Grounded in world-class science and technology– and rooted in communities–the Forest Service connects people to nature and to each other. The Forest Service cares for shared natural resources in ways that promote lasting economic, ecological, and social vitality. The agency manages 193 million acres of public land, provides assistance to state and private landowners, maintains the largest wildland fire and forestry research organizations in the world. The Forest Service also has either a direct or indirect role in stewardship of about 900 million forested acres within the U.S., of which over 130 million acres are urban forests where most Americans live.