Laguna Wildfire Daily Update

Acres: 11,334

Start Date: 6/25/2025

Completion: 87 %

Location: Located in the Coyote Ranger District, 8 miles north of New Mexico State Road 96

and west of the Chama River Canyon Wilderness.

Personnel: 174

Fuels: Oak brush, ponderosa pine, pinyon-juniper

Resources: 3 hotshot crews, 1 Type 2 Initial Attack crew, 2 suppression modules, 7 engines, 3

water tenders (2 support; 1 tactical)

Highlights: Fire crews continued coordinated strategic firing operations by utilizing both hand

and aerial ignition. Fire crews added additional prep work on control lines. To conduct a firing

operation, firefighters cut away vegetation to make a line of bare soil ahead of a fire and then

using aerial and hand ignitions burn the vegetation between that line and the actively burning

fire front.

Weather: West-northwest winds this evening tapers off after sunset with light winds overnight.

Smoke will likely drain south into the upper Rio Grande Valley reaching as far south as Santa Fe.

Expect another very warm to hot day tomorrow with dry westerly breezes developing during the

afternoon hours. This will help transport the smoke plume east over the upper Rio Grande

Valley and northern Sangre de Cristo Mountains. These southeast winds will increase surface

moisture at the wildfire location resulting in scattered shower and storm development during

the afternoon and evening hours both days this weekend.

Smoke: Today, strong winds resulted in significant smoke at ground level in the afternoon,

causing brief smoke impacts in Taos and Mora, on the east side of the Sangre de Cristo

Mountains. Although these impacts were short duration, they occurred at elevated air quality

levels. Abiquiu experienced blowing smoke for a few hours, but conditions are starting to clear

now, shifting southward where Cañones is more heavily affected. This evening, as the winds

subside, surface smoke impacts are expected to extend down the Rio Chama toward the Rio

Grande Valley, with the highest air quality levels closer to the wildfire. Smoke is anticipated to

lift and clear between 8 and 10 a.m. tomorrow morning. A similar pattern is forecast for Friday,

although lighter winds and slightly higher chances for thunderstorms are expected.

Thunderstorms are likely on Saturday and throughout the weekend, which should help clear any

lingering smoke. Tomorrow will be similar, with hot temperatures and winds from the west andnorthwest. Impacts will again be felt in communities along the Rio Chama toward the Rio

Grande Valley, where air quality could reach “UNHEALTHY FOR SENSITIVE GROUPS” in the

afternoon and early evening. There will also be increased chances of thunderstorms and gusty

winds, which could lead to unexpected surface smoke, especially in the afternoons. While

conditions may change rapidly, any smoke impacts are expected to be brief. This weekend, the

likelihood of thunderstorms will increase, helping to clear smoke from most areas, except those

near the wildfire, which will experience impacts overnight and in the morning.

Safety: The health and safety of firefighters and the public are always the highest priority.

Please avoid the area while crews manage the Laguna Wildfire. Drones and firefighting aircraft

are a dangerous mix and could lead to accidents or slow down wildfire operations. If you fly, we

can’t.

Closures: : Closure Order 03-10-01-25-08 is in place and includes all National Forest System

lands, roads, and trails within Township 24N Range 1E Sections 1,2,11,12,13,14,23,24,25,26 and

Township 24N Range 2E Sections 4-9 and Sections14-32 and Township 25N Range 1E Sections

25,35,36 and Township 25N Range 2E Sections 30-32 of the New Mexico Principal Meridian

within the Coyote Ranger District. The purpose of this Order is to protect the public’s health and

safety during firefighting operations for the Laguna Wildfire. See attached map for the closure

area.

More Information: 505-607-0879 | claudia.brookshire@usda.gov|

x.com/SantafeNF | facebook.com/santafeNF | Inciweb-Laguna Wildfire | NM Fire

Info

About the Forest Service: The USDA Forest Service has for more than 100 years brought

people and communities together to answer the call of conservation. Grounded in world-class

science and technology– and rooted in communities–the Forest Service connects people to

nature and to each other. The Forest Service cares for shared natural resources in ways that

promote lasting economic, ecological, and social vitality. The agency manages 193 million acres

of public land, provides assistance to state and private landowners, maintains the largest

wildland fire and forestry research organizations in the world. The Forest Service also has either

a direct or indirect role in stewardship of about 900 million forested acres within the U.S., of

which over 130 million acres are urban forests where most Americans live.