Non-Local News Releases

Firefighters Respond to Lightning Fires
on Mountainair Ranger District

Albuquerque, NM – July 16, 2026 — Firefighters continue to respond to multiple lightning strike fires as a result of Wednesday's scattered thunderstorms on the Mountainair Ranger District.

An infrared (IR) flight is planned for today for central and northern New Mexico zone. IR aircraft are used to detect new fires started by lightning when they are small.

Safety: The health and safety of firefighters and the public are always the first priority. Members of the public should avoid the fire areas.

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!".

Mountainair Ranger District- Manzano Mountains Wilderness: Gallo Fire

Mexican wolf recovery achieves another milestone

Five additional Mexican wolf pups moved from captivity to the wild

In early June 2026, five new-born Mexican wolf pups provided by captive programs associated with the Saving Animals From Extinction (SAFE) project were released into the wild by the Arizona Game and Fish Department – continuing a nearly 20-year-old program aimed at managing the genetic diversity of this wolf subspecies.

This practice, referred to as "fostering", involves taking pups that are less than 14 days old from captivity and placing them into a den of pups produced by wild parents. The wild parents adopt and raise these new youngsters as their own, increasing the genetic diversity of the subspecies on the landscape. 

Deadline to apply for draw hunts is Aug. 12 at 5 p.m.

SANTA FE — The New Mexico Department of Wildlife will begin accepting applications for draw Sandhill crane and pheasant permits beginning at 10 a.m. July 15.

Applications can be made through your online account or by phone at 888-248-6866. The application deadline for draw Sandhill crane and pheasant permits is Wednesday, Aug. 12, at 5 p.m. Successful applicants must have a valid 2026-2027 Game Hunting License or Game Hunting and Fishing License, as well as any applicable stamp(s), in addition to their draw permit. 

The hunts available during this draw application period are listed below:

Courtesy Photos belo

LAS CRUCES, N.M. — A coordinated multi-agency effort led by the New Mexico State Police, Search and Rescue team successfully extracted an injured hiker from a steep mountain gully in the Aguirre Springs Natural Area on Sunday. The grueling and highly technical rescue operation lasted more than 12 hours and required the joint efforts of dozens of regional search and rescue personnel.

At approximately 10 a.m. Sunday, July 12, 2026, emergency dispatchers received a call regarding a hiking party traveling off-trail. One of the hikers, a man, had sustained a severe broken ankle and was unable to self-evacuate. Responding crews discovered the hiker had ascended approximately 1,000 feet off the main trail into a steep, rugged gully near the summit area.

In all construction zones, motorists are asked to reduce speed, obey posted signs, and use extreme caution, as well as continuing to be cautious of heavy equipment and construction personnel in the area. PLEASE NOTE: Conditions are subject to change without notice. Double fines for speeding in work zones may be in effect.

White Sands Missile Range Notification

For information regarding closures, you may call WSMR at 678-1178 or 678-2222 for updates.

Interstates: 

I-10 Business Loop 22, Pine St. Resurfacing Project, Mile Marker 0 to 4.2, Deming

(Washington, D.C., July 9, 2026) – Today, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke L. Rollins, U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin announced an updated Memorandum of Understanding to reaffirm their shared commitment to protecting consumers from heavy metals and other contaminants in food. 

For decades, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) have coordinated through the National Residue Program to monitor and regulate meat, poultry, and egg products. This updated MOU strengthens collaboration under this program and adopts new methods to better detect and address potential risks. 

(Albuquerque, NM – July 9, 2026) — The Cibola National Forest and National Grasslands has issued a road and area closure order (Order 03-03-04-26-16) for National Forest Road (NFR) 245, starting at the forest boundary to Capilla Peak Lookout to include New Canyon and Capilla Peak Campground Areas as depicted on the attached map.

The purpose of this order is to protect public safety during the demolition and removal of decommissioned University of New Mexico observatory buildings located on top of Capilla Peak. National Forest Road (NFR) 245 is a narrow road with few pullouts, requiring closure to provide safe ingress and egress of heavy equipment removing material from the site. 

Sealing 114 abandoned wells mitigates significant environmental hazards 

SANTA FE – The New Mexico Oil Conservation Division (OCD) plugged 114 orphan wells in the recently completed fiscal year 2026, setting a record for the most wells plugged in a single year and curbing significant environmental threats. 

The previous plugging record was 104 wells, set in FY 2024.