Bear Trap Fire – May 13th UPDATE
Magdalena Ranger District - San Mateo Mountains
Incident Command: A type 2 incident management team will assume command of the Bear Trap fire on Saturday May 14th at 0600 with the Southwest Incident Management Team 4. Reported start date / time: May 1, 2022 – 1200 Cause: Undetermined. Size: 8,158 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: 15% Fuels: Pine, Pinyon-Juniper and Grass. Fire behavior: The Bear Trap Fire is exhibiting active fire behavior with moderate backing, uphill runs and isolated torching. Weather: Today: sunny, with a high near 80 with humidity in the single digits. West wind 5 to 10 mph becoming northeast in the afternoon. Tonight: Mostly clear, with a low around 47. Northeast wind 5 to 10 mph becoming southwest in the evening. https://www.weather.gov/. Resources on scene – 340 personnel. Firefighters from the USFS, BLM, BIA, NMF, County, local and private contractors are on scene with 12-Type 6 Engines, 11-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and Trail Closure is in effect for the Bear Trap Fire per Order 03-0726 on May 3rd at 5:00 pm until Sept 1 or until rescinded, whichever occurs first. 03-0726 Closure Order Stage 2 Fire Restrictions: On April 28th based on high fire danger and severe fire weather conditions, the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 # # #
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