New Fire Start on Sandia Ranger District
Osha Canyon Fire – North Sandia Mountain Wilderness
(Albuquerque, NM – June 19, 2026) — Fire resources are actively responding to suppress the Osha Canyon Fire within the northern Sandia Mountain Wilderness on the Sandia Ranger District of the Cibola National Forest & National Grasslands.
Aerial resources responding to include a type 1 helicopter and large air tanker. Ground crews to conduct direct extinguishment strategies following air operations.
Reported start date / Time: June 19, 2026 / 1322
Cause: Undetermined.
Size: Estimate 1/2 acre.
Containment: 0%
Location: Northern Sandia Mountain Wilderness south of Placitas, west of FSR 165 within the Sandia Ranger District on the Cibola National Forest, New Mexico.
Smoke may be visible in the surrounding areas of Placitas and Bernalillo.
Responding Resources: US Forest Service Engines 652, prevention 4 and multiple air resources to include a type 1 helicopter and large air tanker. Additional resources have been ordered.
Strategy: Resources will utilize Direct Extinguishment Strategy to engage the fire and air support.
Safety: The health and safety of firefighters and the public are always the first priority. Members of the public should avoid the Osha Canyon Fire area. Drones pose a serious risk to firefighting and can cause air operations to cease. The public is reminded that "If you fly, we can't!"
Values at risk: The Osha Canyon Fire is not a threat to any values at risk or communities at this time.
Fuels: Mixed Conifer.
Fire behavior: Active fire behavior with protentional growth with westerly winds.
Weather: Today for Albuquerque, NM (June 19, 2026): Sunny, with a high near 95. West wind around 10 mph. Tonight: Partly cloudy, with a low around 69. Southeast wind 10 to 15 mph becoming southwest 5 to 10 mph after midnight. Saturday: Sunny, with a high near 95. West wind 5 to 10 mph increasing to 10 to 15 mph in the afternoon. https://www.weather.gov/
Additional updates will be sent as new information is received.
Any information on the Osha Canyon Fire will also be posted on the Cibola NF & NGs website, New Mexico Fire Information website, and the Cibola NF & NGs Facebook & X pages.
Photo: Sandia Ranger District Osha Canyon Fire on June 19, 2029.
About the Forest Service: The Forest Service has, for more than 100 years, brought people and communities together to answer the call of conservation. Grounded in world-class science and technology — and rooted in communities — the Forest Service connects people to nature and to each other. The Forest Service cares for shared natural resources in ways that promote lasting economic, ecological, and social vitality. The agency manages 193 million acres of public land, provides assistance to state and private landowners, and maintains the largest wildland fire and forestry research organizations in the world. The Forest Service also has either a direct or indirect role in stewardship of about 900 million forested acres within the U.S., of which over 130 million acres are urban forests where most Americans live.
