Single Publication

Start Date / Time: August 3, 2023

Cause: Lightning

Size: 601

Containment: 0%

Location:  On West Mountain, Capitan Mountain Range, northeast of Capitan

Fire Strategy: Confine and Contain

Resources: 1 Handcrew, 1 Wildland Fire Module (WFM), 3 engines, 2 dozers, 2 masticators, 1 water tender. Total personnel: 85

Fire behavior: Low/Moderate fire behavior.

Types of vegetation in the area (aka fuels): Pinyon pine, juniper, mixed conifer

Values at risk: No structures or communities are at immediate risk

Update: As the third week of operations at the West Mountain fire draws to a close, 85 firefighters and support personnel will continue work and monitoring of the area, utilizing a confine-and-contain strategy on the now 601-acre fire. The lightning-caused wildfire began on August 3. The Lincoln National Forest is now managing the incident for forest health and fuel reduction in the area.

“Our goal is to continue to enhance intended boundaries (established roads, natural barriers) to confine the wildfire, while allowing it to spread slowly across the landscape,” said Josh Duboise, Fire Management Specialist for the Lincoln National Forest. “This strategy will help us clear fuel buildup, and help mitigate the threat of large-scale wildfires in the future.”

The intended result of managing naturally-caused wildfires is to reduce accumulated fuels, encourage the growth of native plants, increase species diversity, and restore ecological balance. Ultimately, this can help reduce the potential for future high-severity wildfires.

The strategy on the West Mountain Fire aligns with the Forest Service’s 10-year Wildfire Crisis Strategy, which aims to increase the use of fire, as well as other treatments, on the landscape. This work will help improve forest resiliency for future generations.

Ongoing operations are dependent on the changing weather systems. Crews remain on-scene to ensure hotspots are monitored and the wildfire remains within the intended parameters. Conditions are continually evaluated for firefighter safety and operational effectiveness.

Smoke: Smoke will be visible in coming days as the fire continues to progress across the landscape. Morning inversion will result in heavier smoke as it settles into lower elevation and will lift as temperatures increase. Smoke will be visible along HWY 246, and from the communities of Capitan and Ruidoso.

Visitor Information: Visitors are requested to stay out of the fire area to allow for firefighters to quickly and safely access the fire. Hunters and recreators are advised to use precautions in the area. Expect to see smoke and related activity along HWY 246 outside of Capitan.

Evacuations: None                                           Road Closures: None                                Major Injuries/Fatalities: None

More Information:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/westmountainfire2023                                         Twitter: @LincolnUSForest
Inciweb: https://inciweb.wildfire.gov/incident-information/nmlnf-west-mountain  Other: www.NMFireInfo.com

Updates will be released daily to inform the public.