Acres: 39,642
Start Date: May 22, 2018
Cause: Human-caused
Location: 10 miles NE of Reserve, NM (Gila NF)
Containment: 68%
Fuels: Timber (litter, grass, and understory)
Total personnel: 574

General Information: On Friday at 6:00 A.M., Steve Millert’s Type 2 Incident Management Team will transition management of the Buzzard Fire to the Gila Las Cruces Type 3 Team, led by Incident Commander Ricky Cox. The number of personnel assigned to the fire will continue to decrease due to successful firefighting efforts. Approximately 280 personnel, including 4 crews, 11 engines, 5 water tenders, 3 helicopters, 3 dozers, 2 chippers, and 1 excavator will remain assigned to the incident. The Incident Command Post will remain in place at Apache Creek Campground.

Fire Operations: Crews continue to monitor the fire as it backs down the west side of Eagle Peak. Firefighters have successfully completed over 37 miles of fireline, increasing overall containment to 68%. Crews are using excavators to clear debris from culverts and will begin spreading native plant seed to re-vegetate dozer lines. Water bars will be installed along firelines to prevent erosion and potential flooding during the upcoming monsoon season.

Fire Safety Awareness: Firefighter and public safety remain the number one priority for the incoming team. Many of the objectives for the Buzzard Fire have been met, or are close to completion. Ongoing fire suppression work, including road repair and fireline rehabilitation will be completed in a timely fashion.

Fire Weather: Moisture will slowly creep into the region today with afternoon relative humidities in the lower teens. Temperatures will remain warm with afternoon west-southwesterly breezes. This weekend, a modest push of moisture into western New Mexico will provide the ingredients for scattered showers and thunderstorms. The storms will be a mix of wet and dry as the lower levels remain dry. Erratic winds and strong outflows will be possible with any shower or thunderstorm.

Closures & Restrictions: The area around the fire will remain closed for public safety until lifted by the Gila National Forest. Roadblocks have been set up by local law enforcement. In support of this closure, the Continental Divide Trail has been rerouted around the fire closures. The trail reroute map is available at https://bit.ly/2GRESFw . More closure information is available at https://bit.ly/2LvwKhN. For more information on Stage 2 fire restrictions, please visit https://www.fs.usda.gov/alerts/gila/alerts-notices/?aid=46143 .

Smoke Situation: As the fire slowly backs through old burn scars toward containment lines, only moderate amounts of smoke are expected, causing minor impacts to the majority of populated areas. Ranches to the south and the down-drainage area near Reserve will continue to experience the late night and early morning impacts they have been receiving over the last 10 days. Smoke-sensitive individuals and people with respiratory or heart disease are encouraged to take precautionary measures. For more information on air quality and health impacts due to wildfire smoke, please visit the New Mexico Department of Health website at https://nmtracking.org/fire . Smoke concentration data is available at: https://tools.airfire.org/monitoring/v4 .

Fire Information Links: Fire information can be found at nmfireinfo.com and https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/5814/ .
For information on the Gila National Forest, please visit http://www.fs.usda.gov/gila .

Fire Information: (602) 529-5924
Office Hours: 8:00 A.M. to 8:00 P.M.
InciWeb: https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/5814/ 
Email: buzzardfireinfo2018@gmail.com