MIMBRES, NM; June 21, 2015 - There was minimal growth on the Moore Fire on the Wilderness Ranger District Sunday. The lighting-caused fire is located seven miles east of Gila Hot Springs and estimated at 1,000 acres.

A new fire was detected Friday two miles northwest of the Moore Fire. The Middle Fire is reported 100 acres and will be managed along with the Moore Fire as a Type 3 incident under the command of the Gila Las Cruces Zone Type 3 Incident Management Team. About 25 personnel are assigned to the incident.

Gila National Forest officials considered many factors when they decided to manage these fires for resource objectives over the long-term instead of taking suppression actions. Some of the factors they evaluated involved the location, resource concerns, previous fire activity in the area, and current and forecast weather.

The objectives they identified include removing hazardous fuels, reintroducing fire into the ecosystem and reducing the risk of future severe wildfire occurrence.

Please drive with caution along Highway 35 and Forest Road 150 as traffic has increased around the fire area.