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TAOS, N.M., Aug. 12, 2023 – Fire crews have been able to walk the entire perimeter confirming that the fire footprint is smaller than previously estimated. The updated acreage for the American Mesa Fire is 386 acres and it is 71% contained. An infrared (IR) flight to detect residual heat is expected Saturday evening. Abundant monsoon moisture is expected to bring numerous showers this evening. Potential gusty, unpredictable wind could threaten containment lines.

“We have safety measures in place to address any concerns regarding the roads and crews working in the thunderstorms,” explained Incident Commander Brian Kitchen. “Fire managers continue to monitor the weather patterns within the fire region to ensure firefighter safety and have set trigger points for any potential egress from the fire line.”

Tomorrow’s forecast calls for partly cloudy skies with a chance of showers and thunderstorms in the afternoon.  Temperatures may be cooler with breezy conditions and gusty erratic winds expected near thunderstorms in the afternoon.

The public can get updates for the American Mesa Fire on InciWeb, New Mexico Fire Information and Carson National Forest social media channels on Facebook and X (formerly Twitter).

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