Sacaton Fire Update for July 13, 2026

July 13, 2026 by jenniferolson87 0 Comments

Evacuations Lifted and Bursum Road Opened

Acres: 9,848

Start Date: June 21, 2026

Location: 15 miles east of Glenwood, NM

Personnel: 140

Containment: 57%

Cause: Lightning

Summary: On Sunday, crews finished removing structure protection equipment from the Willow Creek subdivision. Resources also completed dozer work on the 119 Road.

A grader began repairing Bursum Road to reduce impacts related to fire suppression activities. Road grading will continue working south toward Willow Creek.

Firefighters are making progress chipping light fuels along containment lines and hauling heavy fuel out in dump trailers. A flight is scheduled for personnel to remove the protective wrapping from the cabin on Mogollon Baldy.

Due to the reduced threat and the decreased fire suppression activity in the Willow Creek subdivision, the Gila Las Cruces Type 3 Incident Management Team recommended the subdivision be moved back into Ready status. The Catron County Sheriff changed the evacuation status on Monday and NM Department of Transportation opened the Bursum Road/NM-159 between Mogollon and Willow Creek.

Unless significant change occurs, the next and final news release from the Gila Las Cruces Type 3 Incident Management Team will be distributed Wednesday. Information will continue to be available on the Gila National Forest Facebook page.

Weather: A cycle of showers and thunderstorms is forecasted to continue across the Gila National Forest. This week, the days will bring cooler temperatures, higher humidity and cloudy skies with showers and storms developing daily.

Safety: A Temporary Flight Restriction is in place over the Sacaton Fire. If you fly, we can’t!

Closures: Ensure you have the most current order by checking the forest’s alerts webpage: https://www.fs.usda.gov/r03/gila/alerts. Bursum Road/NM-159 is now open between Mogollon and Willow Creek.

Evacuations: Catron County Sheriff’s Office is implementing the Ready, Set, Go! method. The community of Willow Creek is back in READY evacuation status as of Monday. Residents in READY should get prepared for wildfire starts by maintaining an adequate defensible space around the home. For information about evacuation statuses, monitor Catron County Emergency Management on Facebook and sign up for Catron County emergency notifications at catroncounty.us.

Smoke: Smoke may be visible from surrounding communities. Air quality will vary based on fire activity, weather, and wind patterns. Residents should reduce prolonged outdoor activity when smoke is present and check the Air Quality Index before recreating or working outdoors. Sensitive groups should take extra precautions to limit smoke exposure. For real-time smoke conditions, visit fire.airnow.gov.

Fire Restrictions: The Gila National Forest is in Stage 1 Fire Restrictions due to long term severe drought in the Gila region, increased tree mortality across the forest, and forecasted hotter, drier weather conditions. Stage 1 Fire Restrictions limit campfires on forest land to designated recreation sites and campgrounds with constructed metal fire rings. Open burning is also prohibited in the unincorporated area of Catron County and in Catron County Fire District 30.