Forest Service News Release

Gila National Forest

2026.hummingbird@firenet.gov

https://www.fs.usda.gov/r03/gila

Hummingbird Fire Update

Hummingbird Fire containment increases

Silver City, NM, May 15, 2026 — Firefighters continue to actively engage the Hummingbird Fire, currently mapped at 5,720 acres with 76% containment, located 15 miles east of Glenwood, NM in the Gila Wilderness.

Yesterday, firefighters identified a new location to halt fire spread and conducted suppression actions near the Blue Fire and the Daisy Fire burn scars (2025), limiting further spread to the southwest. Suppression efforts continue today, aided by an additional hotshot crew assigned to the incident.

Light smoke may be visible as heavy forest fuels, including dead and down logs, continue to consume. In areas where heat remains, one-to-six-inch flame lengths observed.  The fire is primarily spreading from one dead and down log to the next rather than across the forest floor.

Above-normal temperatures, dry, and windy conditions are forecast through mid-week with a slight chance of thunderstorms. Forest fuels will continue to dry out gradually until significant moisture is received.

Significant hazards continue to challenge firefighters’ efforts to contain the Hummingbird Fire.  Terrain in the fire area is steep and rugged, heavy dead and down fuels are abundant on the forest floor, snags (standing dead trees) present overhead hazards, and depending on the exact location, ground evacuation times are four to six hours.

For public health and safety, an area closure for the Hummingbird Fire remains in effect. A Temporary Flight Restriction (TFR) is also active over the fire area. All evacuation statuses have been lifted. Stage I Fire Restrictions remain in place across the Gila National Forest. For more information, please visit the links listed below.

• Gila National Forest | Hummingbird Fire Forest Closure and Updates | Forest Service
• Gila National Forest | Stage 1 Fire Restrictions Begin March 23, 2026 | Forest Service
• Gila National Forest Facebook Page

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.

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