Medio Fire receives additional resources for structure protection

Medio Fire – August 23, 2020 Daily Update

Acres: Approximately 2,300 acres

Start Date: August 17, 2020

Cause: Unknown

Containment: 5%

Total personnel: 153

Location: Rio en Medio Trail, Española Ranger District, Santa Fe National Forest

Fuels: Dry mixed conifer, ponderosa pine

Highlights: The Incident Management Team ordered three additional engines and a Division Supervisor to begin assessing structure protection needs in lower Pacheco Canyon. These firefighters will focus on prepping Forest Road (FR) 102 in anticipation of planned burnout operations. Their objective is to keep the fire from crossing this road, while also developing plans to prevent damage to structures if the fire were to move closer toward these areas.

An interactive map of the Medio Fire is now available to help the public stay informed on fire movement: https://nifc.maps.arcgis.com/apps/MapSeries/index.html?appid=4925ec13d6bd41538157172dcb9462ed. Using the features of this interactive map, users can track the location and spread of the fire in proximity to key landmarks and neighborhoods, as well as view the latest Forest closures.

Community Meeting: The Incident Management Team hosted a virtual community meeting yesterday, with over 500 participants viewing the live video. A recording of the meeting is now available at https://facebook.com/santafeNF/. No account is required to view the video. The next virtual community meeting will be held tonight at 6 pm on the Santa Fe National Forest’s Facebook page. We will monitor online Facebook questions during the meeting, or you can email us your questions in advance at 2020.medio@firenet.gov. A recording will be posted immediately following the meeting.

Operations: Yesterday firefighters began strategic firing operations down the Viejo Trail to head off the main fire. Crews scouted areas along the west side of the fire and established lines of hose and sprinklers along Nambe Trail. Firefighters completed burnout operations around Aspen Ranch using handline that was constructed during a prescribed burn in 2019. This burnout connected the Pacheco Fire scar south toward FR 102 and established a control line to protect tribal trust lands and the ski basin. The fire received light rain yesterday which moderated fire behavior and afforded the fire managers more time to plan and prepare for their next steps.

Closures: The Santa Fe National Forest has issued a closure order prohibiting members of the public from entering the restricted area, including all Forest Service lands, roads and trails, within an area that is roughly defined by the Rio Nambe Trail #160 on the north, the Borrego Trail #150 and Forest Road 412 on the east, Forest Road 102 on the south and back up the forest boundary line on the west to meet the Rio Nambe Trail #160. Fire managers are asking the public to exercise caution and avoid all areas that could be impacted by the Medio Fire.

Smoke: Smoke from the Medio Fire is likely to be visible from Santa Fe and surrounding communities as well as along the I-25 and US-285 corridors. In addition, multiple fires in Colorado are also blowing smoke into the area. You can view an interactive smoke map at https://fire.airnow.gov/ and zoom into the Santa Fe area to see the latest smoke information. Smoke-sensitive individuals and people with respiratory problems or heart disease are encouraged to take precautionary measures. Information on air quality and protecting your health can be found at https://www.env.nm.gov/air-quality/.  

Inciweb: https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/7031/     Santa Fe National Forest: https://www.fs.usda.gov/main/santafe/home

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/santafeNF/       New Mexico Fire Information: https://nmfireinfo.com/author/sfnfpao/

Join fire managers for an online community meeting tonight at 6:00 PM on the Santa Fe National Forest Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/santafeNF/.

We will monitor online Facebook questions during the meeting or you can email us your questions in advance at 2020.medio@firenet.gov

You do not need a Facebook account to view the meeting. If a pop-up box appears when you first navigate to the link, you can use the scroll bar on the right to scroll down to the view and/or click “not now” to minimize the login pop-up. A recording will be posted following the meeting.

 Attached is a PDF of the Medio Fire Area Closure Order from the Santa Fe National Forest.

You can now view the Medio Fire daily operational video on the Santa Fe National Forest Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/santafeNF/videos/307117983871923

Wind and slope push Medio Fire further south

Medio Fire – August 22, 2020 Daily Update

Acres: Approximately 1530 acres

Start Date: August 17, 2020

Cause: Unknown

Containment: 5%

Total personnel: 135

Location: Rio en Medio Trail, Española Ranger District, Santa Fe National Forest

Fuels: Dry mixed conifer, ponderosa pine

Highlights: The Medio Fire crossed the drainage over the Rio en Medio Trail yesterday. Pushed by northern winds and steep slopes, the fire is now moving further towards the south. Crews are working on a combination of direct and indirect perimeter control, including handline construction surrounding tribal trust lands and private inholdings along Forest Road (FR) 102.

Community Meeting: The Incident Management Team hosted the first virtual community meeting yesterday evening, with over 280 participants viewing the live video. A recording of the meeting is now available at https://facebook.com/santafeNF/. No account is required to view the video. The next virtual community meeting will be held tonight at 6:00 pm on the Santa Fe National Forest’s Facebook page. We will monitor online Facebook questions during the meeting, or you can email us your questions in advance at 2020.medio@firenet.gov. A recording will be posted immediately following the live meeting.

Operations: Resources on scene include the Mt. Taylor Hotshots, Smokey Bear Hotshots, Silver City Hotshots, Red River Fire Chasers, two engines, a Type 3 helicopter, two National Guard Blackhawk helicopters, and a fixed-wing aircraft. As the fire headed south across the Rio en Medio drainage, crews worked to build handline along Aspen Ranch. As temperatures dropped and wind decreased, firefighters began strategic firing operations to remove excess vegetation to starve the main fire of fuel as it moves toward FR 412. Firefighters brought fire down from the Pacheco Fire scar south around tribal trust lands, connected into the handline below Aspen Ranch, and burned west toward the head of the fire. Firefighters are now looking for opportunities to limit impacts to FR 102 as the fire progresses further south.

Weather: Temperatures today will continue to be well above normal. Scattered showers and dry thunderstorms are expected to develop this afternoon along the high terrain, bringing the threat of gusty outflow winds.

Safety: Health and safety of firefighters and the public is the first priority. Firefighters are conducting operations under protocols to mitigate the risk of COVID-19. Members of the public should stay away from fire operations and staging areas, including the Nambe Reservoir and the Rio en Medio (#163), Viejo (#179), Borrego (#150), Nambe (#160), and Capulin (#158) Trails on the Santa Fe National Forest. 

Smoke: Smoke from the Medio Fire is likely to be visible from Santa Fe and surrounding communities as well as along the I-25 and US-285 corridors. Smoke-sensitive individuals and people with respiratory problems or heart disease are encouraged to take precautionary measures. Information on air quality and protecting your health can be found at https://www.env.nm.gov/air-quality/.  

Inciweb: https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/7031/

Santa Fe National Forest Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/santafeNF/

Santa Fe National Forest website: https://www.fs.usda.gov/main/santafe/home

New Mexico Fire Information: https://nmfireinfo.com/

Expect to see increased smoke from the Medio Fire as fire activity picks up in the Rio en Medio drainage. Visit https://www.facebook.com/santafeNF at 6:00PM tonight to ask your questions live during the Medio Fire community meeting.

Join fire managers for an online community meeting tonight, August 21, at 6:00 PM on the Santa Fe National Forest Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/santafeNF/

We will monitor online Facebook questions during the meeting or you can email us your questions in advance at 2020.medio@firenet.gov

You do not need a Facebook account to view the meeting. If a pop-up box appears when you first navigate to the link, you can use the scroll bar on the right to scroll down to the view and/or click “not now” to minimize the login pop-up. A recording will be posted following the meeting.

You can now view the Medio Fire daily operational video on the Santa Fe National Forest Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/santafeNF/videos/653215125301345

Highlights: The Southwest Area Type 2 Incident Management Team 4, led by Incident Commander Carl Schwope, assumed command of the Medio Fire this morning, Friday, August 21, 2020, at 6:00 AM. A Type 2 Incident Management Team brings additional resources and more robust management capabilities to manage the increasingly complex fire.

Community Meeting: The Incident Management Team will host a virtual community meeting tonight at 6:00 P.M. at https://facebook.com/santafeNF/. A recording will be posted following the meeting. No account is required to view the video. If a pop-up box appears when you first navigate to the link, you can use the scroll bar on the right to scroll down to the view and/or click “not now” to minimize the login pop-up. We will monitor online Facebook questions during the meeting, or you can email us your questions in advance at 2020.medio@firenet.gov.

Operations: Resources on scene include the Mt. Taylor Hotshots, Smokey Bear Hotshots, Silver City Hotshots, Red River Fire Chasers, two engines, a Type 3 helicopter and a fixed-wing aircraft. Crews are steering the fire eastward toward the burn scar from the 2011 Pacheco Fire. The intent is to keep the fire between the Rio en Medio drainage to the south and Rio Nambe drainage to the north. Due to the remote location of the fire and the rugged terrain, the strategy will be a combination of direct and indirect perimeter control and point protection.

Weather: Mostly sunny in the morning, then partly cloudy with a slight chance of showers and thunderstorms in the afternoon. Gusty and erratic winds are expected, with above normal temperatures persisting.

Safety: Health and safety of firefighters and the public is the first priority. Firefighters are conducting operations under protocols to mitigate the risk of COVID-19. Members of the public should stay away from fire operations and staging areas, including the Rio en Medio Community Center, Nambe Reservoir, and the Rio en Medio (#163), Viejo (#179), Borrego (#150), Nambe (#160), and Capulin (#158) Trails on the Santa Fe National Forest. 

Smoke: Smoke from the Medio Fire is likely to be visible from Santa Fe and surrounding communities as well as along the I-25 and US-285 corridors. Smoke-sensitive individuals and people with respiratory problems or heart disease are encouraged to take precautionary measures. Information on air quality and protecting your health can be found at https://www.env.nm.gov/air-quality/.  

Inciweb: https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/7031/

Santa Fe National Forest Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/santafeNF/

Santa Fe National Forest website: https://www.fs.usda.gov/main/santafe/home

New Mexico Fire Information: https://nmfireinfo.com/

Type 2 Incident Management Team Takes Command Tomorrow