June 4, 2026 
Daily Update: June 4, 2026
Acres: 31,867 Start Date: May 14, 2026
Location: Capitan Mountain Wilderness Cause: Human caused
Personnel: 544 personnel
Fuels: Heavy dead fuels in the Peppin burn scar
Containment: 64% Contained
Highlights: A community meeting is scheduled in Arabela Volunteer Fire Station at 6:30 p.m. Team members and personnel from local agencies will be available to answer questions from the public.
Operations: On Wednesday, crews walked a section of the fireline along the south edge of the fire. They reported that portion of the line looked great and could be secured soon under appropriate conditions. As containment increases and repair work is completed, the workforce on the fire continues to be right-sized as people time out and head home for deserved rest. Even as personnel depart the fire, managers retain the resources required to respond when needed. Aircraft are among those resources. The support firefighters receive from the air is not limited to retardant and water drops. They also receive intelligence regarding growth of the fire including speed, direction, location, and intensity, all of which is information critical to their safety and success. Several types are available, including the fixed-wing MMA (Multi-Mission Aircraft), which is equipped with a camera with both Infrared (IR) and visual capacity which can shoot still images and video. The camera is extremely sensitive and can accurately locate a hot spot the size of a quarter. This plane has a crew of 2 and the pilot is always air-attack qualified so they can talk to resources on the ground and give real-time information about evolving situations. MMA flights must be contracted in advance, so in a quickly evolving situation, more immediate intelligence might be needed. The Seven Cabins Fire has two agency-owned drones which are capable of IR imaging. Unlike the MMA, the drones can be flown at night, are flown at a lower elevation and do not need to be contracted ahead of use.
Weather: Showers and thunderstorms are forecast this afternoon. West winds will be moderate but are unpredictable in both intensity and direction near thunderstorms. Friday will bring a significant warming and drying trend that will last through the weekend, although thunderstorms will remain possible.
Smoke: Today, smoke should remain moderate and confined to the immediate area around the fire. As weather warms and dries over the next few days, more smoke will be possible. For air quality information, please check local conditions at Fire.AirNow.gov.
Closures and Warnings: A forest closure is in effect across the Capitan Mountain area, extending east and south of Highway 246 to the Forest Service boundary and continuing south to Forest Service Road 57. Baca campground is included in the closure. Stage 1 fire restrictions also remain in effect. A Temporary Flight Restriction (TFR) is in place over the fire to ensure safe access for firefighting aircraft. If a drone enters the restricted airspace, all firefighting aircraft must be grounded to ensure safety. Remember “If You Fly, We Can’t.”
Forest Closure Order: (https://www.fs.usda.gov/r03/lincoln/alerts/order-03-08-01-26-001-seven-cabins-fire-closure)
Fire Restrictions: (https://www.fs.usda.gov/r03/lincoln/alerts/order-03-08-26-001-stage-1-fire-restrictions)
Evacuations: There are no evacuation orders associated with this fire at this time. For more information or to sign up for alerts, visit (https://www.lincolncountynm.gov/services/fire___emergency_services/index.php).
Safety: Crews, heavy equipment, and machinery remain active in and around the incident. The safety of firefighters and the public is our highest priority, and we ask everyone to stay aware of ongoing operations. Fire personnel will continue working along area road systems, and increased caution from the public helps keep both firefighters and community members safe.
Phone Number: 505-217-0120 (7a.m. – 7p.m.)
Email: 2026.SevenCabins@firenet.gov
Inciweb: https://inciweb.wildfire.gov/incident-information/nmlnf-seven-cabins-fire
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SevenCabinsFire/
NM Fire Info 
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