Smoke plumes from individual parts of the Medio Fire visible at 5 p.m. Thursday. The lightening caused blaze had consumed 2,939 acres on the Española Ranger District and 21% contained. Photo by Stephen Shankland

Pockets of flames from the Medio Fire emerge in the darkness at 10:30 p.m. Thursday. The fire sparked by lightning Aug. 17 is burning off the Rio en Medio Trail on the Española Ranger District 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. Photo by Stephen Shankland