Reserve Ranger District

Location: East Elk Mountain, 30 miles east of Reserve, Catron County, NM on the Gila National Forest.

Start Date: March 31, 2021    Size: ~151 acres     Cause: under investigation

Vegetation: Piñon/juniper and grass

Resources: FS crew, on order two (2) Type 1 Initial Attack Crews, two (2) Type 6 engines, a Type 3 helicopter.
Summary:

The Elk Fire is primarily active on the southern perimeter of the fire. There is minimal fire activity in the piñon/juniper, and the northern perimeter is currently checked up due to patchy snow. Aerial reconnaissance of the fire shows it to be approximately 151 acres. The strategy of the fire is full suppression, with confine and containment using natural geographic features and forest roads.

Smoke from fire rises up and away during the daytime, but in the evenings, smoke can pool back down in canyons, drainages, and basins. For information on air quality and protecting your health, and to find guidance on distances and visibility, please visit https://nmtracking.org/fire. Fire information can be found at https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/7359/.

For information on the Gila National Forest, check out our website at https://www.fs.usda.gov/gila.