Single Publication

Black Feather Fire Evacuation Status Reduced -- Saturday, August 12, 2023

Acres: 2,198 acres
Start Date: August 5, 2023
Cause: Lightning
Fuels: Timber, Brush, Understory
Containment: 0%
Resources: 502 personnel
Location: Approximately 9 miles south of Gallina, NM, on the Santa Fe National Forest, Coyote Ranger District. Near the Peñas Negras Trail in the San Pedro Parks Wilderness.

Highlights: This morning, Rio Arriba County announced that the communities of Mesa Poleo and Mesa Pinabetal have had their evacuation status reduced from ‘Set’ to ‘Ready.’ With this change, there are no longer any communities in ‘Set’ status. The community of Wetherill remains in ‘Ready’ status. For more informaiton visit: https://tinyurl.com/BlackFeatherLiveEvcMap .

Firefighters continue to implement a full-suppression strategy on this lightning-caused fire with the objectives of firefighter and public safety, and protecting property, infrastructure, and other values at risk, including timber and watershed. Through a combination of firefighting efforts and weather, there was minimal growth on the fire yesterday. Current resources on the fire include 7 hotshot crews, 22 engines, 6 helicopters, 4 dozers, 5 water tenders, and numerous fix-wing aircraft.

Operations: Today, crews on the north, south, and southeast sides of the fire continue to tie together containment lines and prepare areas as needed to protect the communities and values at risk should the fire continue to move out of the wilderness. Firefighters will be securing the fire’s edge on the southeast side of the fire, tying in existing road systems and handlines. Prep work on the existing road systems in the area will continue, providing additional access and containment options should they be needed in the future.

Evacuations: The communities of Mesa Pinebetal and Mesa Poleo have been reduced to ‘Ready’ status. The community of Wetherill remains in ‘Ready’ status. The Coyote Senior Center is open to evacuees, and livestock can be taken to the Rio Arriba Rural Event Center near Abiquiu. The Rio Arriba County Sheriff’s Office is coordinating evacuations. For more information, visit the Sheriff’s Office Facebook page:https://www.facebook.com/RioArribaSheriffsOffice. 

Safety: Expect increased activity in the area and on local roads as firefighters and equipment move to new locations. Please stay out of the fire area to allow crews safe access to the fire. A Temporary Flight Restriction is in place around the fire area. Please do not fly drones anywhere near the fire. If you fly, we can’t fly.

Weather: Rain potential will increase significantly today and throughout the weekend. Because of the monsoon nature of the moisture, numerous, small rain and thunderstorm cells will flow through the region for the next several days. Most cells will bring light to moderate rain for a period, before moving away. The strongest cells, however, are capable of producing brief, intense rainfall over localized spots. Though these cells will be isolated, they could pose problems if that rain falls on locations particularly vulnerable to flash flooding.

Restrictions/Closures: The Santa Fe National Forest has a partial closure order in place for the Coyote Ranger District. Visit the Santa Fe National Forest webpage: https://www.fs.usda.gov/alerts/santafe/alerts-notices/?aid=82412 for information and a corresponding map. Forest Road 103 is closed to non-residential traffic. Closures will be adjusted based on fire activity.

Smoke: More smoke may be visible in the area over the next several days as active smoldering is taking place Smoke-sensitive individuals and people with respiratory problems or heart disease are encouraged to take precautionary measures. Air quality information is available at https://www.airnow.gov/

Fire Information: 505-460-0499
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/blackfeatherfireinfo
New Mexico Fire Information: https://nmfireinfo.com/