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Bear Trap Fire

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Unit Information

2113 Osuna Rd. NE 
Albuquerque, 
New Mexico 
87113 
2113 Osuna Rd. NE 
Albuquerque, 
New Mexico 
87113 

Incident Contacts

Bear Trap Fire - May 12th UPDATE

Bear Trap Fire
Publication Type: News -

Bear Trap Fire – May 12th UPDATE

Magdalena Ranger District - San Mateo Mountains

Incident Command: New Mexico - Albuquerque Type 3 Team

Reported start date / time:
May 1, 2022 – 1200

Cause:
Undetermined.

Size:
7,552 acres

Location:
Bear Trap Canyon, San Mateo Mountains, Magdalena Ranger District, Cibola National Forest & National Grasslands (NF & NGs). Socorro County, NM. See Map Attached.

Containment:
5%

Fuels:
Pine, Pinyon-Juniper and Grass.

Fire behavior:
The Bear Trap Fire is exhibiting active fire behavior with isolated torching.

Weather:
Temperature today will see a high near 78. West wind 5 to 15 mph. Daytime humidity at 5%, sunny and drought conditions. Tonight:  Mostly clear, with a low around 40. West wind around 10 mph. https://www.weather.gov/.

Resources on scene –
338 personnel. Firefighters from the USFS, BLM, BIA, NMF, County, local and private contractors are on scene with 12-Type 6 Engines, 9-Type 2 Handcrew, 2-Type 2 & 1-Type 3 Helicopters, Overhead, Air Tankers, Water Tenders, and Retardant Drops.

Strategy:
The strategy for the Bear Trap Fire is full suppression.

Values at risk:
At this time, the fire is not a threat to any communities, and there are no evacuations in effect.

Area Closure Order:
An Area, Road and Trail Closure is in effect for the Bear Trap Fire per Order 03-0726 on May 3rd at 5:00 pm until Sept 1 or until rescinded, whichever occurs first. 03-0726 Closure Order

Stage 2 Fire Restrictions: On April 28th based on high fire danger and severe fire weather conditions, the Cibola NF & NGs implemented Stage 2 Fire Restrictions on the mountain districts to include the Magdalena Ranger District. Order 03-0724

Safety:
The health and safety of firefighters and the public are always the first priority. Members of the public should stay away from Bear Trap 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 may be visible in the surrounding areas of Alamo, Datil, Magdalena, Socorro and San Antonio, NM. 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 nmtracking.org. An interactive smoke map is available at https://fire.airnow.gov/, which allows you to zoom into areas to see the latest smoke conditions.

All Bear Trap Fire updates will be posted on the Incident Information System (InciWeb) for Bear Trap Fire, Cibola NF & NGs website, New Mexico Fire Information website, and the Cibola NF & NGs Facebook  & Twitter pages.

For more information on Bear Trap Fire contact:
Magdalena Ranger District Office: 575-854-2281 Cibola National Forest and National Grasslands Supervisor’s Office: 505-346-3900    

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