Single Publication

WATER FIRE UPDATE 
Saturday, April 30, 2022, 11:30 a.m.

INCIDENT STATISTICS

Location of Origin:  3 miles east of the Wilderness Ranger Station and 6 miles north of Mimbres, NM.
Start date:  April 28, 2022 – 2:30 p.m. MST
Current Size: 765 acres
Percent Contained: 30%
Cause:  Under Investigation
Resources Assigned: 6 Engines (17 personnel), 2 Helicopters, 2 Crews and 1 Task Force of firefighters. A total of 105 personnel are currently assigned. Air Tankers will be available to support the firefighting effort, as needed.  Air Tankers are supporting several wildfires in the area. They manage their response carefully by prioritizing needs and being highly mobile.
Closures:  None
Safety:  Please use extreme caution when using a source of spark or fire. With very low humidity and gusty winds, a new wildfire can grow very quickly. 
Cooperators:  Mimbres Volunteer Fire Department
 
TODAY
Firefighters will continue working on constructing firelines, where it is safe to do so. Accessibility is challenging due to limited road access. In general, the terrain is very steep and rocky along the canyon.
 
WEATHER
Low end gusty winds are expected today. Relative Humidity in the area remains very low and any predicted high winds will likely be strong enough to reach Red Flag criteria.
 
SUMMARY
The Water Fire started on April 28 at 2:30 p.m.  It is located 6 miles north of Mimbres, NM, on the Gila National Forest. Initial response by Air Tankers helped slow the fire’s spread significantly. Favorable weather conditions also played a factor in the success of the aerial operations. By this morning, Saturday (April 30th), 30% percent of the fire had been contained. Ground forces, including engines and hand crews are focusing and continuing their efforts on constructing fireline in areas that they can successfully do so.