The School Fire at 5,905 Acres 071516

Category: Front Page News Front Page News
Published: 15 July 2016 15 July 2016

Reserve, NM; July 15, 2016 - The School fire on the Reserve Ranger District remains active and has now consumed 5,905 acres within the management perimeter; with 20% containment. The lightning-caused fire started on July 8, 2016 and is located at the junction of Snow Lake and Willow Creek along the Forest Road 28 (Bursum Road) and County Road CAT-CO21 (Snow Lake Road), about 50 miles southeast of Reserve, NM. Multiple objectives are being met with this fire. A fair amount of dead standing snags and logs within the fire perimeter have been consumed, which have provided for future safe access, reduced hazardous fuels, improving rangeland health and site preparation for reforestation.

Management actions taken on Thursday were to improve containment lines along the perimeter and continue with burnout operations, to protect remaining Ponderosa Pine stands with low intensity fire effects. Containment strategies using existing roads have been successful in keeping the fire in the 2006 Bear Fire scar allowing potential for future rehabilitation. The fire behavior was low intensity with flames of one foot. For Friday, fire behavior and smoke activity is expected to be similar due to mimicking weather conditions over the past few days.

Planned actions for today include holding existing containment lines along the perimeter of the fire and to monitor the south end of the fire based on the anticipated winds coming out of the Northwest.

As of yet, there are no campground or road closures due to fire activity. We do ask that visitors drive with caution and their head lights on to avoid accidents due to thick smoke, heavy traffic, and fire personnel along the roadside.

The same lightning storm on July 8, 2016 started six small fires (known as the Gilita Complex) close to the School Fire all located in the 2006 Bear Fire scar, which is now at 35 acres. The Reserve Ranger District will continue to monitor these fires.

Resources for the School fire include two crews, four engines, and one Helicopter that will be supporting the School Fire, along with the Gilita Complex.

For more information, please contact the Reserve Ranger District at 575-533-6231 for questions regarding these fires.

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.