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Venado Fire Update (as of July 26, 2018)

By the Santa Fe National Forest

July 26, 2018 Daily Update

Acres:  2,872 Start Date: July 20, 2018
Cause: Lightning Location: Jemez Ranger District, Santa Fe National Forest
Containment: 10% Fuels: Ponderosa pine
Total personnel: 318

General Information: Although the Venado Fire is currently burning on the Santa Fe National Forest, fire managers recognize the potential for westward growth onto Pueblo of Jemez lands. In anticipation of the fire’s movement, the Pueblo of Jemez joined the Santa Fe National Forest in delegating authority to Steve Millert’s team to manage the incident.

Fire Operations: Strategic objectives include keeping the fire west of Forest Road (FR) 376 and south of FR 534 in an effort to minimize adverse effects in treated timber stands and limit overall fire spread. Firefighters are also working to keep the fire east of the Pueblo of Jemez lands. Crews continue to prepare FR 376 for potential burnout operations should weather conditions allow. On the west side of the fire, firefighters are scouting and planning for future operations. Firefighters will prioritize the protection of structures located west of the Venado Fire on Pueblo of Jemez lands.

 Fire Weather: A cold front will cross the area and bring increasing moisture, breezy southeast winds and good chances for showers and thunderstorms this afternoon through Friday. The primary hazards from these storms will be frequent lightning and gust outflow winds. In addition, heavy rainfall may lead to flash flooding, especially across areas that experienced high burn intensity. On Saturday, expect warmer and drier conditions with less storm activity.

Closures: Road closures are currently in effect, including FR 376. In support of safe fire operations, Forest Service and Sandoval County personnel cleared the area of campers. A formal closure order for the Venado Fire area, to include roads, is expected soon.

Smoke Situation: Because of the location and elevation, smoke from the Venado Fire will be visible from all directions coming into the Jemez Mountains area. Smoke is expected to linger in neighboring communities including San Ysidro, Gilman, Jemez Pueblo and areas near NM State Route 4 and US Route 550. Smoke may be visible from I-25, Jemez Springs, Santa Fe and Bernalillo.

Smoke-sensitive individuals and people with respiratory or heart disease should be prepared to exercise precautionary measures. Information on air quality and protecting your health using the 5-3-1 visibility method can be found at the New Mexico Department of Health’s website https://nmtracking.org/fire or by calling 1-888-878-8992. For information on the HEPA filter loan program: https://www.santafefireshed.org/hepa-filter-loan-program/.

 

Fire Information Links: Fire information can be found at nmfireinfo.com and https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/5996/.

For information on the Santa Fe National Forest, please visit http://www.fs.usda.gov/santafe.

 

Fire Information:  575-459-0908 Office Hours: 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.
InciWeb: https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/5996/ Facebook: www.facebook.com/SantaFeNF/
Twitter: @SantaFeNF Email: venadofireinfo2018@gmail.com

 

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