Fire Information: (575) 388-8300

Acres: 5,740

Start Date: May 11, 2014
Cause: Human

Location: 10 miles north of Silver City, NM

Containment: 25%

Fuels/Topography: Timber, grass/rugged terrain

Total personnel: 688

Possible burnout operations may occur over the next few days to help prevent the fire from spreading to the northeast and east. Expect to see smoke. Alerts will be sent out when the burnout operation begins.

*A public meeting will be held at the Roundup Lodge, 91 Acklin Hill Rd, in San Lorenzo at 6 p.m. tonight. At the conclusion of this meeting a presentation will be offered to interested individuals who would like to learn how to use Google Earth to track wildfire progression now and for future incidents.

Yesterday's Actions: Crews continued to improve and mop up the west flank, increasing the contained portion of the burn to 25%. Line construction along the north and east sides was ongoing in preparation for possible burnout operations. On the southeast and south flanks, firefighters were building containment lines near the fire's edge. Structure protection personnel monitored fire line improvements near private structures on the south flank of the fire.

Today's Actions: Strategy for this fire is full suppression. Crews will continue mop up on the northwest flank of the fire, and build lines on the northeast and east sides (near Skates Canyon) in preparation for burnout operations. On the southeast (near Allie Canyon) and south sides, firefighters will continue to build direct line. Mop up and patrol will continue on the southwest flank. Structure protection personnel will be preparing for the protection of historic Allie Cabin and begin structure assessments along Hwy 35 in the Mimbres Valley. Aircraft will support firefighters by dropping retardant and water to allow ground forces to continue with suppression activities. Firefighter and public safety remain the number one concern on the fire. In addition fire managers are monitoring values at risk which include wildlife habitat and cultural resources.

Weather: Today will be mostly sunny, with temperatures ranging from 62 to 70 degrees. Minimum relative humidity is predicted to be 9% to 13% with variable winds gusting up to 15 mph by the afternoon. Temperatures are expected to continue to increase over the next few days. Critical fire weather conditions are possible over the weekend and into next week.

State Highway 15 reopened to the public on Wednesday, May 14, 2014.

Silver City, Pinos Altos, Gila Cliff Dwellings and local special events are NOT being impacted by the Signal Fire.

Information for this fire, including maps and photos, can be found at:
http://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/3864/
http://nmfireinfo.com

Content on the Beat

WARNING: All articles and photos with a byline or photo credit are copyrighted to the author or photographer. You may not use any information found within the articles without asking permission AND giving attribution to the source. Photos can be requested and may incur a nominal fee for use personally or commercially.

Disclaimer: If you find errors in articles not written by the Beat team but sent to us from other content providers, please contact the writer, not the Beat. For example, obituaries are always provided by the funeral home or a family member. We can fix errors, but please give details on where the error is so we can find it. News releases from government and non-profit entities are posted generally without change, except for legal notices, which incur a small charge.

NOTE: If an article does not have a byline, it was written by someone not affiliated with the Beat and then sent to the Beat for posting.

Images: We have received complaints about large images blocking parts of other articles. If you encounter this problem, click on the title of the article you want to read and it will take you to that article's page, which shows only that article without any intruders. 

New Columnists: The Beat continues to bring you new columnists. And check out the old faithfuls who continue to provide content.

Newsletter: If you opt in to the Join GCB Three Times Weekly Updates option above this to the right, you will be subscribed to email notifications with links to recently posted articles.

Submitting to the Beat

Those new to providing news releases to the Beat are asked to please check out submission guidelines at https://www.grantcountybeat.com/about/submissions. They are for your information to make life easier on the readers, as well as for the editor.

Advertising: Don't forget to tell advertisers that you saw their ads on the Beat.

Classifieds: We have changed Classifieds to a simpler option. Check periodically to see if any new ones have popped up. Send your information to editor@grantcountybeat.com and we will post it as soon as we can. Instructions and prices are on the page.

Editor's Notes

It has come to this editor's attention that people are sending information to the Grant County Beat Facebook page. Please be aware that the editor does not regularly monitor the page. If you have items you want to send to the editor, please send them to editor@grantcountybeat.com. Thanks!

Here for YOU: Consider the Beat your DAILY newspaper for up-to-date information about Grant County. It's at your fingertips! One Click to Local News. Thanks for your support for and your readership of Grant County's online news source—www.grantcountybeat.com

Feel free to notify editor@grantcountybeat.com if you notice any technical problems on the site. Your convenience is my desire for the Beat.  The Beat totally appreciates its readers and subscribers!  

Compliance: Because you are an esteemed member of The Grant County Beat readership, be assured that we at the Beat continue to do everything we can to be in full compliance with GDPR and pertinent US law, so that the information you have chosen to give to us cannot be compromised.