SFNF News:
The Medio Fire has burned 2,300 acres off the Rio en Medio Trail on the Española Ranger District of the Santa Fe National Forest (SFNF) between the Rio Nambe and the Rio en Medio, approximately 2 miles north of the Village of Rio en Medio, 2 miles east/southeast of Nambe Reservoir and 5 miles north/northwest of the Santa Fe Ski Basin.
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.
Start Date: Aug. 17, 2020
Cause: Unknown
Location: Rio en Medio Trail, Española Ranger District, Santa Fe National Forest
Acres: Approximately 2,300 acres
Fuels: Dry mixed conifer, ponderosa pine
Containment: 5%
Total personnel: 153
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: Saturday 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/
