Turkeyfeather Wildfire Update July 14, 2025

Acres: 18,592                   Start Date: Monday, June 30, 2025                   Location: 22 miles SE of Reserve, NM 

Personnel: 89                   Containment: 0%                         Cause: Lightning/Natural

Summary: The Turkeyfeather Wildfire saw active fire behavior Sunday morning, and moderate behavior in the afternoon, as clouds and light precipitation moved into the area. The fire continues to burn through previous fire scars with downed fuels, consuming forest duff and heavies which have accumulated on the forest floor. The area where the Chicken Wildfire is located has shown very little activity.

Over the weekend, the northeast corner of the Turkeyfeather Wildfire crossed the Gilita Creek ¼ mile southwest of Snow Lake Campground. This caused crews to assess conditions and conduct firing operations along the Snow Lake Road to keep the fire from progressing further north. In the evening, crews also conducted firing operations in the pine stand along the north side of Gilita Creek to reduce burning intensities during the day. Operations went well and crews continued the work into Sunday. Crews will continue to monitor and contain any fire that spreads beyond established containment points.

On the southwest side, the fire moved in the direction of Willow Creek. Firefighters are closely monitoring the area and assessing whether to conduct firing operations in the area. Crews have finished preparations around the Willow Creek subdivision and are establishing water sources and hose lays near structures.

On Tuesday, July 15,2025, the Gila National Forest will transition command of the Turkeyfeather Wildfire to the Gila Las Cruces Zone Type 3 Incident Management Team.

Weather: Thunderstorms, with winds and lightning, are predicated daily, in the coming week, for the fire area.

Smoke: Local air quality is moderate to good with hazy skies and light smoke. For local reports: https://fire.airnow.gov/

Safety: Please remain vigilant and travel cautiously as moderate fire traffic remains active in the travel corridor of the Mimbres Valley.

Closures and Fire Restrictions: 

Gila National Forest Closures and Alerts: https://www.fs.usda.gov/r03/gila/alerts

More Incident Information: 

Inciweb: Nmgnf 2025Turkeyfeathergnf Information | InciWeb

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Public Information Phone: 575-342-1883 (8am – 8pm)