Black Fire Daily Update June 11, 2022

Category: Front Page News Front Page News
Published: 11 June 2022 11 June 2022

Black Fire Receives Minimal Rain

Acres: 304,550 acres
Location: 31 miles NW of Truth or Consequences
Containment: 42%
Personnel: 1009
Start Date: Friday, May 13, 2022
Cause: Human-caused, under investigation
Fuels: Timber and tall grass
Structures Lost: 5

Road Closure: NM 152 is currently closed, from mileposts 40 (Kingston) to milepost 15 (San Lorenzo). No entry will be allowed. A portion of the Gila National Forest affected by the fire has been closed.

To learn about the current evacuation status for the Black Fire, please access the real-time, interactive evacuation map. or contact your local jurisdiction's emergency management agencies.

The Black Fire has not received much rain from the passing storms, but it did increase relative humidity levels for a short time. Containment line was added in the Hermosa area and there was fire growth in the Granite Peak area.

Firefighters rappelled by helicopter into the Mineral Creek and Lookout Mountain area to assess the isolated heat and implemented direct suppression tactics. Along Highway 152, firefighters are removing and chipping brush to prepare this road as a holding line in case fire moves towards Emory Pass. In Kingston, firefighters are setting up sprinkler systems and removing fuels for protection purposes. Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) or drone-like device is being used by firefighters to monitor the fire line in the McKnight area and patrol for any new fire starts due to lightning. Minimum Impact Suppression Tactics are being used in the Gila Wilderness, which means fire lines created are smaller than normal and less vegetation is removed. Thunderstorms are forecast again for tomorrow. Otherwise conditions of hot temperatures, dry fuels and winds remain in place.

There is a lot of fire traffic and firefighters working along the fire area, please be cautious if driving in these areas.

Weather: Limited moisture will result in isolated mainly afternoon and evening dry thunderstorms through Sunday. Expect warm to hot temperatures, low daytime relative humidity and lowering night-time RH recoveries into the middle of next week. Stronger winds are expected through Tuesday, especially Monday with near critical conditions.

Aviation Restrictions: The Temporary Flight Restriction (TFR) which restricts non-fire aircraft over the Black Fire has been expanded to the south and east. This includes civilian drones. Unauthorized aircraft in the area can ground firefighting aircraft, hinder firefighting efforts, and can also result in criminal charges for the offender.

Fire Restrictions: Know Before You Go! The public can obtain current state and federal fire restriction information across New Mexico at NM Fire Info | Fire Restrictions or at NM Forestry Division state-wide fire restrictions: https://www.emnrd.nm.gov/sfd/find-current-fire-restrictions/

More Information:
• InciWeb: https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/8103/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GilaNForest
• New Mexico Fire information: https://nmfireinfo.com/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/gilanforest
• New Mexico Road Information: www.nmroads.com/
• Smoke Outlook Report: https://outlooks.airfire.org/outlook/dde9ec52
• Sierra County: https://www.sierraco.org/department/emergency-management/
• Catron County: https://www.catroncounty.us/departments/fire_chief/
• Grant County: https://grantcountynm.gov/departments/emergency-management/
• Firewise: https://www.emnrd.nm.gov/sfd/fire-prevention-programs/firewise-usa




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