Southwest Area Incident Management Team
TEAM 4 – Andrew Mandell – INCIDENT COMMANDER
Increase in acreage due to Red Flag conditions
Morning Update for June 18, 2025
Report in Spanish, plus smoke outlooks and maps at bottom of this update
Fire Information Phone: 575-323-8964 (8 a.m. – 8 p.m.)
Acres: 38,682 Start Date: June 12, 2025
Location: 12 miles north of Silver City, NM Cause: Under Investigation
Personnel: 875 Fuels: Grass, brush, and timber Containment: 0%
Highlights: Firefighters worked through the night in round-the-clock shifts under dynamic and challenging conditions. The Trout Fire continues to exhibit active growth due to dry fuels, gusty winds, and high temperatures. Wind-driven fire activity picked up yesterday, and firefighting efforts continued throughout the night. A few spot fires crossed Highway 35 but were quickly contained. Firefighters will continue mop-up and holding operations in these areas today.
Conditions continue to change rapidly, and the public is strongly encouraged to refer to the interactive evacuation map for the most current information.
Fire Activity:
Crews held and secured areas on the north and northwest sides of the fire near Highways 15 and 35 and strategically conducted firing operations to protect the values at risk from the fire. On the north side, hose lays and water systems were installed around homes in Trout Valley and Lake Roberts. On the south and southeast flanks, dozer lines are being constructed with support from national, state, and local resources, including Fremont McMoran Mining Company. These efforts aim to strengthen control features ahead of expected fire movement. Crews are actively scouting for control features to help limit fire movement toward the Mimbres Valley. With increased fire activity, additional resources continue to arrive to help with suppression efforts.
Smoke is impacting local communities, creating moderate to unhealthy conditions. Detailed information can be found at https://www.wildlandfiresmoke.net .
Evacuations as of June 18, 2025, 10 a.m. MDT: GO (Level 3) – Zones 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9,10, 11, 12, 26
SET (Level 2) – Zone 27
READY (Level 1) – Zones 28, 29
Additional evacuation areas will be identified as conditions change. View the interactive evacuation map here. https://nifc.maps.arcgis.com/apps/instant/interactivelegend/index.html?appid=4d6aa2593621469692914966de85cfa )
The Red Cross has established evacuation shelters at Grant County Convention Center (3031 US-180, Silver City, NM 88061) and Cobre High School (1300 Tom Foy Blvd., Bayard, NM 88023). High Desert Humane Society will accommodate pets, and the rodeo grounds at the Southwest Horseman's Association are open to receive livestock. Weather: Yesterday’s gusty winds have diminished. Light winds are expected today, shifting south-southwest by this evening. Relative humidity remains low, ranging from 6-9%, and fuels continue to be extremely dry. Looking ahead, there is an increasing chance of thunderstorm development in the coming days, which may bring erratic winds and lightning. Temperatures remain above normal in the mid-high 90s.
Closures & Fire Restrictions: The Trout Fire has caused several road closures on Highways 35, 152, and 356. Visit https://www.nmroads.com/default.html?v=2025012001
The Gila National Forest has issued an updated closure order for the area on 6/17/2025. https://www.fs.usda.gov/r03/gila/alerts/trout-fire-area-closure-updated-6172025
Stage 2 Fire Restrictions are also in place https://www.fs.usda.gov/r03/gila/alerts/stage-2-fire-restrictions , and a Temporary Flight Restriction (TFR) is in effect https://tfr.faa.gov/tfr3/?page=detail_5_3951.
More Information:
InciWeb: https://inciweb.wildfire.gov/nmgnf-trout-fire
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GilaNForest
Email:
