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Grants, NM —Additional crews arrived to the Encerrita Fire on Tuesday, bringing the total number of firefighters to 99 on the 1541-acre lightning-caused fire located in El Malpais National Monument, 15 miles south-southwest of Grants. Weather is expected to remain hot and dry today with increased winds over the fire ahead of a frontal passage that will bring precipitation to the region for the remainder of the week.

Yesterday, firefighters continued establishing an anchor point on the remote southwestern corner of the fire and constructing fire line to limit fire spread to the west. Engine crews identified possible fire lines and mitigated hazardous fuels near infrastructure ahead of the fire. Air tankers were able to support ground crews by creating retardant lines on the north and west sides of the fire to limit fire spread onto neighboring jurisdictions. Fire activity on Tuesday was reduced due to lighter winds, which led to minimal fire growth.

Today, firefighters will continue establishing direct and indirect fire lines on the west and north sides of the fire and engine crews will continue hazardous fuels reduction ahead of the fire. Southerly winds are expected to increase into the afternoon, which may lead to increased fire activity and additional smoke production.

Late Wednesday, a frontal passage will cause an increase in winds overnight with gusts up to 30 mph, which is expected to increase overnight fire activity. The passing front will bring moisture to the fire area, which will raise relative humidity and fuel moisture. Thursday’s forecast calls for partly cloudy skies, scattered showers, and thunderstorms, which will aid firefighters’ efforts in the coming days.  

Closures remain in effect in the monument. The Continental Divide Trail (CDT) and Zuni-Acoma Trail are closed in El Malpais National Monument from Porter Ranch Rd off Hwy 53 to Hwy 117; a CDT bypass is in place between CDT miles 502.5 to 512.5; more information is available on the CDT website. Both the western Zuni-Acoma Trail parking lot and the eastern Acoma-Zuni Trail parking lot are included in the closure. Closures have been posted and the public is asked to avoid closed roads, trails, and parking lots. The El Calderon Trail remains open.

Additional updates on the Encerrita fire will be available on Facebook (@ElMalpaisNPS) and on Inciweb. Closure orders may be adjusted in the coming days based on fire activity; please contact the El Malpais Visitor Center at (505) 876-2783 or visit www.nps.gov/elma for additional information on closures in the monument.

www.nps.gov