Lightning Starts Fire on Atalaya Mountain

Updated: City Fire chief says hot shots have line in place and fire has burned 5.5 acres

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Firefighters from the New Mexico State Forestry Division have a containment line in place for a 5.5 acre fire that ignited Friday on Atalaya Mountain.

City of Santa Fe Fire Chief Brian Moya tells SFR his department is still standing by to assist a crew of 19 hot shots from the state division if needed.

Moya issued a statement Friday night noting “there is no current threat to the City of Santa Fe” and says that’s still the case.

State Forestry received the report of the fire on the east side of the mountain in ponderosa pine and grasses around 11 am, forest officials say. By 5 pm, helicopters were dropping water from Nichols reservoir, Moya says.

Santa Fe National Forest officials report the fire was one of five “natural ignitions” on Friday.

“The monsoonal weather patterns that bring much-needed moisture also bring lightning, which can easily ignite drought-stressed trees and other vegetation,” reads a news release issued Saturday afternoon.

Forest officials say crews secured the four additional fire starts as well.

There’s no official containment figure for the Atalaya Fire yet, but “Santa Fe Hot Shots have put a line completely around the fire and they are up there currently monitoring it,” Moya says.

City Manager John Blair issued a statement Friday urging residents to remember the “Ready-Set-Go " evacuation status plan and sign up for Alert Santa Fe Sign Up - Smart911 for updates.

“While there is no need for alarm, this is another reminder to take fire preparedness seriously,” Blair said.

The point on the map below indicates the approximate location of the fire, Moya says.

Editor’s Note: The time for the initial report of the fire has been updated from an earlier version of this story.