EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) — The Trout Fire, burning north of Silver City, is now at more than 2,000 acres and 0 percent containment, officials with the Gila National Forest said on Friday morning, June 13.
The fire started Thursday, June 12 and is burning 12 miles north of Silver City. The cause of the fire is under investigation.
Officials with the Gila National Forest said the fire grew to 2,170 Thursday evening under “hot, dry, windy conditions.”
The fire is burning in timber, brush, and grass on both sides of New Mexico Highway 15 in the Sheep Corral and Meadow Creek areas, officials said.
Continued active fire growth to the north and east is expected under predicted weather conditions Friday and in the coming days.
Resources fighting the fire include 144 personnel, two single-engine air tankers, a “very large” air tanker, and two helicopters that made frequent flights on Thursday, delivering fire retardant and water to help slow the fire’s advance, fire officials said.
Two more helicopters are expected to arrive Friday.
Three hotshot crews, four engine crews, and two hand crews continued direct attack, working to establish fireline where safe to do so.
Crews are preparing in-direct handline and structure protection in the Mimbres Valley, removing hazardous fuels and assessing needs for hoses, pumps, and sprinklers, fire officials said.
Four dozers have begun reopening dozer lines used during past fires to the north and east of the fire area to protect Lake Roberts and communities in the Mimbres and Sapillo Creek valleys.
As for the weather, drier air is moving into the area, leading to low relative humidity with poor moisture recovery, fire officials said. Temperatures are also on a warming trend with single-digit relative humidity values. Friday’s high is expected to be in the low 90s. Temperatures are expected to climb through the weekend and into next week with minimal chances for precipitation, fire officials said.
That all adds up to difficult firefighting conditions.
The public is asked to avoid New Mexico highways 15 and 35 due to the large volume of firefighter traffic and limited entry and exit options for area residents.
Smoke is widely visible around the Grant County area. Smoke impacts can be expected in the Mimbres and Sapillo valleys and other low-lying areas, especially overnight and during early morning hours, fire officials said.
For real-time smoke conditions, visit: https://fire.airnow.gov/.
Grant County Office of Emergency Management has placed much of the Mimbres and Sapillo Creek valleys in “set” mode under the Ready, Set, Go program for evacuations.
Visitors were advised Thursday night to evacuate from developed recreation sites at Lake Roberts and other adjacent areas. The national forest is working on establishing a closure order to close all developed recreation sites along Highway 35 and a swath of Highway 15, as well as adjacent National Forest System lands, fire officials said.
Stage 2 Fire Restrictions are in place on the Gila National Forest. For full details, visit https://www.fs.usda.gov/r03/gila/alerts/stage-2-fire-restrictions.
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