Single Publication

Video Update

Acres: 11,500                                                                         

Start Date: May 19, 2024

Location: 7 miles north of the village of Coyote, NM                 

Personnel: 116

Completion: 86%                                                                   

Fuels: Timber

Highlights: A Burned Area Emergency Response (BAER) team is assessing the burn severity of the fire. BAER teams are staffed by specially trained professionals: hydrologists, soil scientists, engineers, biologists, vegetation specialists, archeologists, and others who evaluate the burned area and prescribe stabilization treatments. In areas of higher fire severity, the priority is stabilization to prevent further damage to natural resources. While a large percentage of this fire had desirable effects due to low to moderate intensity, some portions may need stabilization to prevent erosion, increased flood risk, and stream, river, and reservoir sedimentation.

Operations: On Tuesday, Forest personnel walked the portion of the Continental Divide Trail within the Indios Fire area. Firefighters and Forest staff are working to cut down hazard trees (snags) along the trail and mitigate other risks so the trail can be opened as soon as possible. 

Yesterday, some smoke was visible on the interior of the fire. Pockets of vegetation continue to burn out, and stumps and logs may still be smoldering. Crews addressed some of these near roads, but nothing was threatening firelines.

Fire personnel, including firefighters, heavy equipment operators and Forest staff continue with suppression repair work. This includes repairing roads and firelines, installing water bars, chipping, and cutting down trees that pose a hazard (snags) along roads and trails. 

The percentage of completion (objectives for confinement, point protection, and monitoring) and containment (where the fire can be reasonably expected to stop spreading) remains at 86%, and no further fire growth is expected. The remaining 14% is not officially reported as contained because no control measures are in place on the northern end of the fire due to steep, inaccessible terrain in the Chama River Canyon Wilderness. Fire managers expect little to no fire spread in this area due to the limited vegetation and rocky terrain. Large logs and stumps continue to smolder in some areas, but most lighter fuels have been consumed in the interior. 

Weather: A weak shower is possible near the Indios Fire on Thursday afternoon. High temperatures will be in the upper eighties to low nineties with a minimum humidity of 7-11 percent. Winds will be west to northwest at 4-7 mph. Breezes will increase on Friday.

Smoke: Minimal smoke impacts are expected for the foreseeable future. Smoke sensors have been installed and will remain in the communities of Coyote, Gallina, Cañones, and at the Monastery of Christ in the Desert. View an interactive smoke map at https://fire.airnow.gov/. Learn more about smoke impacts at https://www.env.nm.gov/air-quality/fire-smoke-links/.

Closures: A Santa Fe National Forest emergency area closure is in place for the Indios Fire. The full closure order (No. 03-10-01-24-04) and map are available on Inciweb. Camping and water are available at the Coyote Ranger Station for Continental Divide Trail hikers impacted by this closure.

inciweb.wildfire.gov/incident-information/nmsnf-indios-wildfire | nmfireinfo.com 575-323-2290 | x.com/SantafeNF | facebook.com/santafeNF | 2024.indios@firenet.gov