Silver City, NM; June 27, 2016 

Over the past week 26 fires have been reported to the Silver City Interagency Dispatch Center. Firefighting efforts were brisk late last week until the daily scattered thunderstorms covered significant areas of the forest. According to fire officials even without areas receiving any appreciable rain the dew point and relative humidity increased to the point that new fires had moderate fire behavior, and in some cases burned themselves out. All fires were ground fires staying below the forest canopy. An aerial reconnaissance flight observed only 4 fires putting up any noticeable smoke.

The Burnt Fire was detected last Thursday night near Sheep Mountain, 9 miles east of Upper Black Canyon Campground in the Aldo Leopold Wilderness Areas and has burned approximately 20 acres. The fire is being managed for multiple objectives including hazard fuel reduction and improving forest health.

The Miller Fire also detected June 23 is 9 miles north of Luna and is 62 acres. Forest officials are managing it for multiple objectives. Forest managers have identified an area of approximately 900 acres in which to confine this fire. A 10-person suppression module is assigned to this incident and will manage this fire to contain it within the prescribed management area boundary.

The Turkey Fire, 8 miles west of the Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument, was detected June 5. This fire has covered approximately 7000 acres and is managed to achieve multiple objectives. The fire has moved through the grass and needle cast as fire managers expected. The management objective for this fire is to remove hazardous fuels to reduce the severity of future wildfires and to improve overall forest health.

The Maple Fire is 14 miles northwest of Glenwood burning within the Blue Range Primitive Area in Arizona with smoke visible from many areas on the Gila National Forest.