Smoke from the Medio Fire settles over Los Alamos today as viewed from Pajarito Ski Hill. Photo by Jenn Bartram/ladailypost.com
SFNF News:
The Medio Fire, which begin Monday from unknown causes – has as of this afternoon – consumed approximately 610 acres and is zero percent contained.
Fire update: Firefighters made good progress yesterday, identifying an anchor point on the northwestern side of the fire, which gives crews on the ground the opportunity to safely start building fire line and secure the fire’s boundary. The fixed-wing aircraft dropped retardant yesterday to slow the fire’s advance and assist ground crews with their work on the anchor point.
Today crews will secure that anchor point and continue to build fire line on the west flank of the fire. The intent is to continue to steer the fire toward the burn scar from the 2011 Pacheco Fire and keep it contained between the Rio Nambe and Rio en Medio.
Southwest Area Type 2 Incident Management Team 4 will in-brief this afternoon and assume command of the Medio Fire at 6 a.m. tomorrow.
Resources on scene: 76 personnel, including three interagency hotshot crews, two engines, three interagency hand crews, the Valencia County Decontamination Team, a Type 3 helicopter and a fixed-wing aircraft.
Location: 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 1.5 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.
Fuels: Dry mixed conifer tapering to ponderosa pine at lower elevations. Heavy fuels in steep, rugged terrain add complexity to efforts to control the Medio Fire. Contrary to a traditional monsoon season, fuel moistures are very low for this time of year, and other fire indices are unseasonably high.
Fire behavior: Mostly moderate with isolated torching and short crown runs, exacerbated by the dry continuous fuels, terrain and winds driven by passing storm cells.
Strategy: Due to the complexity of the Medio Fire and the values at risk, the SFNF requested a Type 2 Incident Management Team which will take command of the fire early Friday. The containment strategy is a combination of direct and indirect perimeter control and point protection. SFNF fire managers are coordinating with cooperators and partners, including the Nambe and Tesuque Pueblos, Santa Fe County and New Mexico State Forestry.
Weather: Unseasonably hot temperatures with low afternoon humidity and scattered showers and thunderstorms possible in the afternoon.
Values at risk: Values at risk include Nambe Reservoir, tribal inholdings and traditional cultural resources, the Village of Rio en Medio, powerlines including the Jemez Electric Coop powerline, the Rio Nambe/Rio Capulin and Rio en Medio watersheds, and trails and cultural sites on the SFNF.
The Medio Fire is currently not threatening any structures, and there are no evacuations in place.
Safety: The health and safety of firefighters and the public are always the first priority. Firefighters are conducting operations under protocols to mitigate the risk of COVID-19.
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 online at the New Mexico Department of Health (NMDOH) Environmental Public Health Tracking (EPHT) website. The Forest Stewards Guild offers a HEPA Filter Loan Program that are available on a first come/first served basis. Additional information on air filters and the HEPA loan program is posted at https:////www.santafefireshed.org/hepa-filter-loan-program#smokeanchor3.
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 SFNF.
Drones pose a serious risk to firefighting and can cause air operations to cease. The public is reminded that “If you fly, we can’t!” Fire managers have implemented a Temporary Flight Restriction (TFR) to create a safety buffer for both ground and air crews.
Fire updates will be posted on the SFNF website, New Mexico Fire Information website and on the Santa Fe National Forest Facebook page and Twitter @SantafeNF.