Medio fire 100% containment

By USDA

Start date: Aug. 17, 2020             Cause:Lightning              Size: 4,010 acres              Containment: 100%

Location: Rio en Medio Trail, Española Ranger District, Santa Fe National Forest

Current status:  The Medio Fire is 100% contained.  Firefighters are monitoring the perimeter to ensure the lines are holding and the edges are cold. As temperatures warm this week, crews will watch for hot spots in the fire’s interior that may cause visible smoke. Crews will continue to monitor the Medio Fire over the next few days. A Burned Area Emergency Response (BAER) Team is assessing the Medio Fire’s potential effects on watersheds, focusing on immediate risks to human life and safety. The BAER assessment will be available at https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/7133/.

Community Meeting: The Santa Fe National Forest will host a virtual community meeting on the Medio Fire and the BAER assessment on Wednesday, Sept. 16, at 6 p.m. on the Santa Fe National Forest’s Facebook page. No account is required to view the video. Online Facebook questions will be monitored during the meeting.

Resources:  Two engine modules

Closures: The closure order remains in effect prohibiting members of the public from entering the area around the Medio Fire, including all Forest Service lands, roads and trails, roughly defined by the Rio Nambe Trail #160 on the north, the Borrego Trail #150 and Forest Road 412 on the east, Forest Road 102 on the south and back up the forest boundary line on the west to meet the Rio Nambe Trail #160. The closure area includes the entirety of the Rio en Medio Trail #163, which was severely damaged by the fire.

Weather: Temperatures today will be close to seasonal averages, and winds will be light to moderate. Warm and dry conditions are expected to continue throughout the week.

Values at risk: Nearby communities, Nambe Reservoir infrastructure, tribal and private inholdings, cultural resources, watersheds and riparian areas, power and phone lines, and grazing allotments.

Safety: The health and safety of firefighters and the public are always the first priority. Firefighters are conducting operations under protocols to mitigate the risk of COVID-19.

Smoke: As temperatures rise, smoke may be visible as unburned pockets of fuel ignite in the interior. An interactive smoke map at https://fire.airnow.gov/ allows you to zoom into the Santa Fe area to see the latest smoke information. 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 at https://nmtracking.org/fire.

Fire updates are posted on the SFNF website, New Mexico Fire Information website and Inciweb as well as the Santa Fe National Forest Facebook page and Twitter @SantafeNF.