Silver City, NM, October 21, 2020 — For Immediate Release.  Warm temperatures and limited precipitation continue to increase fire danger on the Gila National Forest. On October 8 the Gila NF upgraded the fire danger to HIGH and it is trending to VERY HIGH.

A fire danger rating of HIGH is defined as “all fine dead fuels ignite readily, and fires start easily from most causes.”  Unattended brush and campfires are likely to escape. Fires spread rapidly, and short-distance spotting is common. Fires may become difficult to control unless they are successfully stopped while still small. Outdoor burning should be restricted. 

Fire managers consider several factors when elevating the fire danger level. Data from Remote Weather Stations (RAWS) located across the forest are aggregated together, producing the Energy Release Component (ERC). The ERC is a trend line that Fire Managers use to determine “where they are at” in fire season. “Normally” in mid-October the ERC (on a scale of 0-100) on the Gila is below 40. Currently we’re at 80 and climbing.

A below average monsoon and continuous dry fall conditions are the contributing factors to the HIGH fire danger on the Gila NF. Hunters, campers, woodcutters and all forest visitors please be vigilant of the current conditions and avoid using anything with an open flame or a spark. Make sure to completely extinguish your campfires, that your chain saw has a spark arrestor, that your trailer chains are not dragging and that all cigarettes are extinguished in an ashtray. #OneLessSpark #OnlyYou 

Please report fires and abandoned campfires to the Silver City Interagency Dispatch at 1-800-538-1644.

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