June 14 Evening News Release
Incident: Silver Fire Wildfire
Released: 2240 PST
Moisture, Humidity Help Silver Fire Crews
SAN LORENZO, NM The Silver Fire received moisture over most of the fire today and as a result fire behavior remained moderate. Higher humidity helped crews battle the 21,400 acre fire.
Firefighters continue to focus on protection of structures and construction of containment line. Late today crews conducted two small firing operations one mile north of Kingston near the Black Colt Mine reinforcing structure protection. To date firefighters have constructed approximately 20 miles of fire line with an additional 15 miles scouted. Silver Fire resources also assisted the Gila National Forest on a new fire near Georgetown.
There are 552 firefighters working the fire which include five helicopters, eight hotshot crews, five 20-person hand crews, 16 engines, two dozers and 11 water tenders.
A public meeting will be held in Silver City tomorrow, Saturday, at 6 p.m. at the Grant County Administration Building located at 1400 US Highway 180 East. Additional meetings are held each morning at the Hillsboro Community Center at 10 a.m.
Gila National Forest officials want to remind the general public that the forest is open to recreation except in the restricted fire area.
Several agencies are assisting with the Silver Fire, they include the Grant and Sierra County Sheriffs, NM State Police, Las Cruces District BLM, and NM State Forestry.
To ensure public safety, the Aldo Leopold Wilderness Area has been closed east of NM State Highway 152 from the Continental Divide Trail #74 south to Reeds Peak. NM State Highway 152 from San Lorenzo to Hillsboro remains closed. The road closure is for east and westbound traffic from 35 miles east of Bayard at mile marker 16 to 10 miles west of Hillsboro at mile marker 40. Trail #79 and the Royal John Mine Road are also closed for public safety. For more information see http://fs.usda.gov/gila or www.nmroads.com.
For additional fire information visit the following websites: www.facebook.com/SilverFireNM, www.flickr.com/gilaforest, www.twitter.com/SilverFireNM.
The Silver Fire is located on the Gila National Forest, east of Silver City, just west of the community of Kingston, NM. The fire is growing generally eastward.
An evacuation order is in place for Kingston as of June 10 at 1:40 a.m.
Highway 152 is closed through the Black Range, from San Lorenzo to Hillsboro. There is no estimate of reopening at this time.
The Royal John Road is closed to the public, but residents are being allowed access at this time.
The Silver Fire was started by lightning on June 7 approximately 7 miles southwest of Kingston, New Mexico. Smoke is visible from Highway 152 and Silver City, as well as Interstate 10, near Deming, NM.
Firefighters have been taking an active suppression approach since initial response to the Silver Fire. They are challenged by extremely rough terrain, a substantial amount of unburned fuel and beetle-killed trees and extreme fire conditions. Firefighters are working on point protection around structures, roads and area campgrounds.
Follow the Silver Fire on Facebook at www.facebook.com/SilverFireNM and Twitter at www.twitter.com/SilverFireNM (@SilverFireNM).
Maps and Photos are available to view, download and print free on Flickr at www.flickr.com/photos/gilaforest/
***
Burnout Operations Near Kingston This Evening (june 14)
Incident: Silver Fire Wildfire
Released: 1900 Hours PST
Crews will be conducting two small hand ignitions near Black Colt Mine this evening. These burnout operations are to reinforce lines around Kingston, NM.
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Incident: Silver Fire Wildfire
Released: 15 hrs. ago
Public meetings will be held for Mimbres and Silver City. The Mimbres meeting is today, Friday, at 6 p.m. at the Roundup Lodge on Acklin Hill Road in San Lorenzo. The Silver City meeting will be at 6 p.m. Saturday at the Grant County Administration Building located at 1400 US Highway 180 East in Silver City. Additional meetings are held each morning at the Hillsboro Community Center at 10 a.m.
Gila National Forest officials want to remind the general public that the forest is open to all activities except in the restricted fire area.
To ensure public safety, the Aldo Leopold Wilderness Area has been closed east of NM State Highway 152 from the Continental Divide Trail #74 south to Reeds Peak. NM State Highway 152 from San Lorenzo to Hillsboro remains closed. The road closure is for east and westbound traffic from 35 miles east of Bayard at mile marker 16 to 10 miles west of Hillsboro at mile marker 40. Trail #79 and the Royal John Road are also closed for public safety. For more information see http://fs.usda.gov/gila or www.nmroads.com.
Unit Information
Incident Contacts
Phone: 575 536-3382
Hours: 8:30 a.m – 8:30 p.m. daily
Phone: 575-536-3285
Hours: 8:30 a.m. – 8:30 p.m. daily
Phone: 575-895-5368
***
June 13: No Structures Damaged in Kingston
Incident: Silver Fire Wildfire
Released: 1 day ago
A rumor emerged that homes in Kingston burned today. THIS IS NOT TRUE. There was quite a bit of smoke in Kingston and Hillsboro this afternoon due to a wind shift, but no threats to Hillsboro and all the structure protection and prep in Kingston that firefighters have been doing these last couple days have WORKED. No structures have been damaged.
***
CLOSURES:
To ensure public safety, the Aldo Leopold Wilderness Area has been closed east of NM State Highway 152 from the Continental Divide Trail #74 south to Reeds Peak. NM State Highway 152 from San Lorenzo to Hillsboro remains closed. The road closure is for east and westbound traffic from 35 miles east of Bayard at mile marker 16 to 10 miles west of Hillsboro at mile marker 40. Trail #79 and the Royal John Road are also closed public safety. For more information see http://fs.usda.gov/gila or www.nmroads.com. Although these closures are in place, the rest of the Gila National Forest remains open for recreation.
(Announcement published 6/12/13)
RE PUBLIC MEETINGS:
Saturday (June 15) at 6 p.m.
Grant County Administration Building
1400 Hwy 180 East
Silver City, New Mexico
Daily until further notice – 10 a.m.
Hillsboro Community Center
Basic Information
| Incident Type | Wildfire |
|---|---|
| Cause | Lightning |
| Date of Origin | Friday June 07th, 2013 approx. 03:00 PM |
| Location | Vicinity of Kingston, NM |
| Incident Commander | Curtis Heaton |
Current Situation
| Total Personnel | 552 |
|---|---|
| Size | 21,400 acres |
| Fuels Involved | Pinyon pine/juniper, ponderosa |
| Fire Behavior | Backing fire, single and group tree torching with passive short run crown fire in the mixed conifer; fire behavior was generally terrain and fuel driven. |
| Significant Events | Focus is on point protection and structure protection in Kingston and other values at risk. Continued recon in all divisions to develop viable suppression strategies given the challenges with fuels and topography, with priority on providing for public and firefighter safety. |
Outlook
| Planned Actions | For the upcoming operation period, crews will continue point protection and structure protection in and around Kingston along with other areas; Construct line on the east side of the fire, north and south of Highway 152. Continue scouting NW of the fire area. |
|---|---|
| Growth Potential | Extreme |
| Terrain Difficulty | Extreme |
Unit Information:
Gila National Forest
U.S. Forest Service
3005 E. Camino Del Bosque
Silver City, NM 88061
Fire Information
Phone: 575 536-3382
Hours: 8:30 a.m – 8:30 p.m. daily
Fire Information Line 2
Phone: 575-536-3285
Hours: 8:30 a.m. – 8:30 p.m. daily
Eastside Info Center – Hillsboro Volunteer Fd
Phone: 575-895-5368
INCIDENT COOPERATORS: Bureau of Land Management, Grant County Sheriff’s Office, Hillsboro Volunteer Fire Department, New Mexico State Forestry, NM State Police, NM DOT, Sierra County Sheriff’s Department.
Source: www.inciweb.org.
Reblogged: 6/14/13 2325 Hours PST
NW Fire Blog 