SFNF News:
SANTA FE – The Santa Fe National Forest (SFNF) has issued a closure order today for recreation sites, Forest Service roads and trails, and areas within the Pecos Wilderness impacted by the Winsor Ridge Fire, which began Friday.
The closure order protects public health and safety during fire operations.
The closure order is in effect 6 a.m. today until the Incident Command Post for the Winsor Ridge Fire is demobilized or until it is rescinded earlier.
The order applies to the following areas:
Recreation sites:
- Cowles Ponds Fishing Site
- Cowles Parking Areas
- Cowles Campground
- Winsor Ridge Trailhead
- Panchuela Campground
- Panchuela Trailhead
- Holy Ghost Trailhead
Forest Service roads:
- Forest Road 121 (Winsor Canyon Road) from NM Route 63 in its entirety (T 19N, R 12E, sec 34)
- Forest Road 305 (Panchuela Road) from Forest Road 121 in its entirety (T 18N, R 12E, sec 3)
Portions of the Pecos Wilderness:
- Holy Ghost Trail 283 in its entirety to junction of Winsor Trail 254
- Winsor Trail 254 to junction of Skyline Trail 251 (T 18N, R 11E, sec 1)
- Skyline Trail 251 north to Stewart Lake
- Skyline Trail 251 north to junction of Cave Creek Trail 288
- Cave Creek Trail 288 to Panchuela Trailhead (T 19N, R 12E, sec 18)
- Winsor Ridge Trail 271 in its entirety to Winsor Trailhead
Federal, state and local officers, members of an organized rescue team or firefighting force, private landowners crossing National Forest System lands in order to access their property and any others authorized by Forest Service permit are exempt from the closure order.
Signs will be posted to notify the public of the closures. Violation of the closure order is a Class B misdemeanor punishable by a fine of not more than $5,000 for individuals and $10,000 for organizations, imprisonment of not more than six months, or both.
The closure order and map will be available on the SFNF website. All current closure orders are posted on the Alerts and Notices page of the website.
Winsor Fire
June 27, 2020, 1:30 P.M.
Start date: June 26, 2020
Cause: Under investigation
Size: Approximately 2 acres
Location: Pecos/Las Vegas Ranger District on the Santa Fe National Forest approximately 1.7 miles from the Winsor Ridge Trailhead at Cowles and approximately 20 miles north of Pecos
Containment: 0%
Fuels: Heavy fuels with a high concentration of dead and down timber and mixed conifer on steep slopes in rocky terrain.
Weather: The National Weather Service issued a red flag warning in effect from noon today until 8 p.m. this evening. With wind speeds gusting up to 35 miles per hour from the southwest and low humidity ranging from 9% to 15%, conditions are ideal for wildfire to spread rapidly. Southwest winds will increase this afternoon, and a weather system moving into the Great Basin will strengthen very dry westerly winds.
Resources on scene: Two helicopters with water buckets, one fixed-wing aircraft, two engine modules and approximately 40 personnel on the ground.
Values at risk: Cowles Ponds fishing site, Cowles Campground and Winsor Ridge recreation cabins administered under special use permits from the Santa Fe National Forest.
Strategy: The strategy for the Winsor Ridge Fire is full suppression. The fire is very active within its 2-acre footprint. The biggest concern for firefighters today is spotting outside the main fire, especially under the red flag conditions. High winds could cause the fire to spread rapidly in difficult terrain. The two helicopters are dipping water from the Cowles Ponds to drop on the fire and may consider using Stewart Lake in the Pecos Wilderness if necessary.
Safety: Members of the public should stay away from the Cowles Ponds area, the Winsor Ridge Trailhead and Stewart Lake so they do not interfere with fire operations. 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!”
Smoke is likely to be visible in the Pecos Canyon area. 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 at https://nmtracking.org/fire.
Fire updates will be posted on the New Mexico Fire Information website at and on the Santa Fe National Forest Facebook page and Twitter @SantafeNF.