Containment is at 60%

SILVER CITY, NM, June 12, 2023 – Crews established containment lines around all sides of the LS Mesa Fire yesterday, declaring the fire 60% contained today. It is located approximately 9 miles east of Gila, New Mexico on public lands managed by the New Mexico Forestry Division, the Bureau of Land Management, and Gila National Forest. Driven by gusty winds, the LS Mesa Fire remains at 132 acres in size and its cause is under investigation.

Today, ground crews have continued identifying and extinguishing sources of heat that could threaten to escape the fire's perimeter. Responding crews include one New Mexico Forestry Division engine and three Forest Service fire engines, two Forest Service 10-person fire suppression modules, a New Mexico Forestry Division 5-person initial attack module, and the 20-person Silver City Hotshot crew. Available air resources include two Type 3 helicopters and a Type 1 helicopter, two single engine air tankers, two large air tankers, and a very large air tanker, along with a fixed-wing air attack platform to oversee aerial resources.

The weather forecast over the fire area this week projects high temperatures in the 80s to 90s, with gusty winds and no precipitation in the forecast.

More information about the LS Mesa Fire is available at Wildfire | InciWeb For New Mexico Forestry Division, contact George Ducker, Communications Coordinator at 505-699-0601, or george.ducker@emnrd.nm.gov. For Gila National Forest, contact Maribeth Pecotte, Public Affairs Officer at 575-388-8211 or Maribeth.Pecotte@usda.gov.