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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 7th UPDATE

Bear Trap Fire
Publication Type: News -

Bear Trap Fire – May 7th UPDATE

Magdalena Ranger District - San Mateo Mountain

Incident Command:
 New Mexico - Albuquerque Type 3 Team

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



Cause:
Undetermined

Size:
4,406 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:
0%

Fuels:
Pine, Pinyon-Juniper and Grass

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

Weather:
Temperatures today will be in the mid-80s with humidity in the single digits for long periods, sunny and drought conditions. Northwest winds are 15-20 mph increasing to 20-25 in the afternoon with gusts as high as 40 mph. Tonight forecast: Clear skies with a low around 51, West wind 25-30 mph decreasing to 15-20 after midnight. Red Flag Warning in effect May 7th from 11 am until 10 pm and again May 8th 10 am until 10 pm due to strong winds, low humidity, near record warmth and a very unstable atmosphere. https://www.weather.gov/

Resources on scene:
Firefighters from the USFS, BLM, BIA, NMF, County, local and private contractors are on scene with 1 Type 3 Engine, 1 Type 4 Engine, 12 Type 6 Engines, 6 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
 I’m

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and Trail Closure is in effect for the Bear Trap Fire per Order 03-0726 on May 3rd at 5:00 pm until Sept 1 or until rescinded, whichever occurs first. 03-0726 Closure Order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