Incident: Silver Fire Wildfire
Released: 1:13 hrs. ago
Updated 1200 MDT June 15, 2013 Valid through June 16, 2013
Smoke Outlook-
With higher humidities, including the potential rain from scattered thunderstorms, smoke impacts from the Silver and Jaroso fires should be minimal.
Potentially unhealthy conditions (visibility of 1.5 to 2.75 miles or less) can always occur where there are wildfires. If they do, sensitive groups such as people with heart and/or lung disease, adults over age 65, young children, and pregnant women should avoid all outdoor activities until air quality improves. Everyone else should minimize outdoor activities.
Thunderstorm activity predicted in the areas near the fires today and tonight could produce impacts in communities near each fire as storm activity can produce winds that push smoke in unpredictable directions. These impacts, if they were to occur, should dissipate quickly.
For the Silver Fire, any smoke impacts will occur to the northeast this afternoon and to the east and southeast in the evening and early Sunday morning. Any smoke impacts from the Jaroso Fire will occur to the east and southeast. No significant impacts are expected in communities downwind of these fires; however, occasionally elevated levels of smoke may occur at ground level.
Smoke forecasts are dependent on predicted fire growth and weather. If conditions change unexpectedly, greater smoke impacts could occur.
Your eyes are your best tools to determine if its safe to be outside. Even if you smell smoke, the air quality may still be good.
Remember:
if visibility is 11 miles and up, the air quality is Good; six to ten miles, air quality is Moderate; three to five miles, air quality is Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups; one and a half to two and three quarter miles, air quality is Unhealthy; one to one and a quarter miles, air quality is Very Unhealthy; and one mile or less, air quality is Hazardous. When the visibility is less than 5 miles, sensitive groups should minimize outdoor activities. Everyone else should minimize prolonged or physical activity outdoors.
For information about health effect of smoke, including actions individual can take to protect themselves, and guidance on distances and visibility, based on the location of current fires, please visit, nmtracking.org/fire.
Updated information on fire activity in the Southwest can be found in the SWCC Morning Intelligence Briefing.
Additional smoke information can be found at the SWCC Smoke Impact Awareness page.
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Incident: Silver Fire Wildfire
Released: 6 hrs. ago
The Northern Arizona Incident Management Team is hosting Congressman Steve Pearce, staff and his guests at the Silver Fire. A tour and briefing are planned at the Incident Command Post in San Lorenzo, N.M.
There are 552 firefighters working the fire which include five helicopters, eight 20-person hotshot crews, five 20-person hand crews, 16 engines, two dozers and 11 water tenders.
A public meeting will be held in Silver City today, 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 except in the restricted fire area.
Several agencies are assisting with the Silver Fire, they include the Grant and Sierra County Sheriff’s Departments, NM State Police, Las Cruces BLM District, NM State Forestry and NM Department of Transportation.
To ensure public safety, the Aldo Leopold Wilderness has been closed east of NM State Highway 152 from the Continental Divide National ScenicTrail #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.
Source: inciweb
Republished: 6/15/13 1305 PST
2013 The NW Fire Blog
NW Fire Blog 