Gila National Forest Hummingbird Fire Update

Widespread thunderstorms moved through the area Monday afternoon, igniting several fires across the Gila National Forest. Around 4:45 p.m., the Black Mountain lookout detected a small amount of smoke south of the community of Willow Creek in the Gila Wilderness on the Glenwood Ranger District. An engine crew was dispatched immediately but unable to locate the fire Monday evening. When they found the fire Tuesday morning, it was 0.25 acres and exhibiting moderate fire behavior. The Gila Interagency Hotshot Crew was mobilized Tuesday to assist the engine crew, and a large airtanker dropped retardant around the fire to slow the fire’s spread and protect the community of Willow Creek.

The fire is burning within the 2012 Whitewater-Baldy Fire burn scar, where brush and large dead trees—both standing and downed—are abundant. The retardant did not halt the fire’s spread, and crews reported that the fire continued to actively burn until 1 a.m. Wednesday. The fire is currently estimated to be 15 acres and is moving eastward and southward. As winds increase Wednesday afternoon, fire activity is expected to increase. Local resources assigned to the incident Wednesday include two engine crews, the Gila Hotshots, a Type 3 helicopter, and a Type 1 helicopter.

On Tuesday, District Ranger Elizabeth Toney ordered the Gila Las Cruces Type 3 Incident Management Team. “The prolonged drought; the current and expected hot, dry, windy weather; and the abundance of standing and downed dead trees that the Hummingbird Fire is burning in all contribute to a potentially dangerous situation for firefighters and the public. The incident management team brings the expertise and staffing capacity needed to manage this incident. Local resources will be available for initial attack should any new fires start,” explains Toney.

Members of the Type 3 team are arriving Wednesday. They will gather information and expand on the existing suppression plan, building on the work that local resources have accomplished. Management responsibility of the Hummingbird Fire will transfer to the Type 3 team on Thursday, April 23, at 6 a.m.

The Willow Creek community is in a Ready evacuation status.

A Red Flag Warning is in effect until 8 p.m. Wednesday for southwest New Mexico, including most of the Gila National Forest, due to low humidity, strong winds, and dry vegetation.

The Gila National Forest is currently in Stage 1 Fire Restrictions. Enjoy your public lands, but know and follow the fire restrictions in effect for the area you are in.

Stay informed about wildfire activity through the forest’s website and Facebook page, InciWeb or New Mexico Fire Information.

About the Forest Service: The 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, and 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.