Mark Woodward
The Medio Fire began on Aug. 13.
Not one, but two wildfires are burning on the edges of Santa Fe.
Firefighters reported in a community meeting Monday night that the day's work in facing off with the week-old Medio Fire in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains took fire lines to 18% containment, meanwhile the US Forest Service was sharing air resources with a new fire spotted late Sunday near the Caja del Rio Plateau west of the city had that already jumped to an estimated 600 acres by Monday night and was 0% contained. Both are on Santa Fe National Forest land.
At the Caja Fire on Monday, two engine crews labored at the fire with another engine en route from the Southern Pueblos Agency and some rain fell in the burn area. A 12-person hand crew was due to arrive from Arizona on Tuesday, according to the Southwest Coordination Center.
Sunday night's estimate mapped the fire at 15 acres before Monday night's report increased that estimate drastically.
"I don't know how much of that is that it actually grew that big overnight versus the possibility that our first estimates were not completely accurate," Forest Service spokeswoman Julie Anne Overton tells SFR. "…The vegetation type that we are dealing with on the Caja is very different than on the Medio so I think that is going to be an advantage in terms of fighting the Caja Fire. It's not a heavily forested area like the mountains are, it's a different kind of fuel type."
While that fire likely was caused by lightning, officials say, there's still no word on what sparked the Medio Fire.
That blaze has been burning for a week and has led to "ready" evacuation status for residents along the road in Pacheco Canyon.
Overnight infrared mapping conducted Sunday showed the Medio Fire measured about 2,500 acres, and officials added another 206 to that total at Monday night's briefing.
Firefighters had planned to begin burnout operations along the southern, western and northern edges of the fire Monday to build containment lines, but pivoted somewhat due to weather conditions. Their strategy is to keep the fire north of Forest Road 102, which Incident Commander Carl Schwope said is no easy task.
"It's some really challenging country, it's a thousand feet change in elevation in less than a half mile off of that road, and that's really challenging places to try to hold fire and do burnouts and things like that. We also have, every day, thunderstorms in the area. That is just what happens this time of year and that makes fire behavior very unpredictable," said Schwope.
Buck Wickham, fire operations section chief, said firefighters were able to connect a new hand line to an existing break north of Forest Road 102 on Monday, noting "if that all stays tucked in and holds, it will eliminate that threat to the 102 road."
But, Wickham warned, weather patterns and drought conditions do not give area residents room to be complacent.
"I don't want to make everybody think this fire is a done deal because it isn't. It's in extremely rough country. It's in extremely heavy fuel loading and we are in conditions more representative of June or early July than August. We want to feel confident in what we are doing and the accomplishments that we have made. All it takes is one thunderstorm in the wrong area…the fuel is there, the topography is there where we could lose this fire," he said.
Structure protection efforts including staging of water holding tanks and hoses are underway for homes farthest east in the Rio en Medio and Pacheco Canyon communities.
The Santa Fe National Forest has issued a closure order prohibiting entry into Forest Service lands, roads and trails, within an area that is roughly defined by the Rio Nambe Trail #160 on the north, the Borrego Trail #150 and Forest Road 412 on the east, Forest Road 102 on the south and back up the forest boundary line on the west to meet the Rio Nambe Trail #160. Fire managers are asking the public to exercise caution and avoid all areas that could be impacted by the Medio Fire.
The Forest Service also announced late Monday that it would enter Stage 1 fire restrictions forest-wide at 6 am on Wednesday, Aug. 26.
"While the SFNF is still welcoming visitors, the annual monsoon season was a disappointment, and fire indices are spiking which historically is not typical for this time of year," reads a statement from the agency. "This year's fire season also has the added layer of complexity from COVID-19. The Stage 1 restrictions are a proactive way to reduce the very real risk of human-caused wildfire, protect natural and cultural resources, and enhance public and firefighter safety."
Under Stage 1 restrictions, fires, campfires, charcoal grills, and coal and wood stoves are allowed only in developed campsites or picnic areas where agency-built fire rings or grills are provided for use. Campfires are prohibited at all dispersed camping sites. Smoking is allowed only in enclosed vehicles or buildings, at developed recreation sites or while standing in an area at least 3 feet in diameter that has been cleared of all flammable material.
An "air resource advisor" has joined the incident to help address smoke-related issues, including public health concerns. Smoke from the fires severely affected air quality in Santa Fe and beyond. He recommended people wear N95 masks and keep doors and windows closed. Smoke levels vary depending on the time of day, and so far, he's observed the dangerous levels east of the Rio en Medio canyon.
The Santa Fe Watershed, which supplies one of the city's drinking water sources, is adjacent to the fire, but several miles from its boundaries at present.
Leah Cantor contributed reporting.
