EMNRD-FORESTRY DIVISION
SOUTHWEST AREA INCIDENT

MANAGEMENT TEAM #1
Bea Day - Incident Commander

Minimal Fire Activity Sunday

Acres: 36,083 (based on improved mapping) Percent Containment: 23%
Start Date: May 31, 2018, 2:10pm Cause: Unknown, under investigation
Jurisdiction: NM State Fuels: Grass, Pinyon Juniper, Mixed Conifer
Origin Location: Highway 64 in Ute Park, NM, between Eagle Nest Lake and Cimarron
Resources: 498 personnel including 13 crews, 8 helicopters, 19 engines, 2 bulldozers, 6 water tenders

A community meeting will be held Monday at 4 pm at the Angel Fire Community Center, located at 15 Cs Ranch Road, Angel Fire, NM, 87710. The meeting will be livestreamed at https://facebook.com/uteparkfireinfo.

Wetting rain persisted over the Ute Park Fire today, resulting in limited fire activity. Critical fire weather and smoky conditions are expected to return in the coming days. Firefighters are prepared to respond to new fire starts in the area.

Increased containment on the Ute Park Fire is credited to successful burnout operations on the fire’s east and south flanks. Today firefighters mopped-up hotspots and suppressed a small spot fire on the fire’s south flank. A mandatory evacuation order is still in effect for the Cimarron area. Approximately 550 structures are threatened in this area.

In the Ute Park area, firefighters continued to construct fireline in preparation for future burnouts to protect structures in the area. Hotshot crews constructed fireline and suppressed hotspots in Bear Canyon, and will continue working northeast, aided by the 2002 Ponil Fire burn scar and natural barriers in the area. Ute Park is still under a mandatory evacuation order. Approximately 219 residences are threatened in this area.

No residences have burned on the Ute Park Fire. Fourteen outbuildings burned on the Philmont Ranch on May 31.

Safety is our #1 priority. Firefighters are using direct attack tactics where possible, protecting values at risk and limiting the fire’s spread. Values include firefighter and public safety, critical municipal watersheds, structures, and air quality.

Sign Up for Colfax County’s Emergency Alerts at https://bit.ly/2LbNdXh .

The Red Cross continues to have a shelter open at the Eagle Nest Senior Center at 74 N. Tomboy Dr., Eagle Nest, NM. The New Mexico Chapter of the American Red Cross is also supporting the City of Raton’s shelter at the Raton Convention Center, 901S. 3rd Street, Raton, NM. Evacuees are welcome at either shelter.

Call 511 or visit http://nmroads.com/ for current road information. US 64 is closed eastbound and westbound from mile marker 285 before Cimarron to mile marker 344 at Eagle Nest. NM 204 is closed northbound and southbound from mile marker 0 to mile marker 10. NM 21 is closed eastbound and westbound from mile marker 0 at Cimarron to mile marker 34 at Philmont. NM 58 is closed eastbound and westbound from mile marker 0 at Cimarron to mile marker 18.

Cimarron Canyon State Park is closed. Eagle Nest Lake State Park is open, but Eagle Nest Lake is closed to boating as firefighting helicopters are utilizing the lake as a water source. The Carson National Forest has implemented an area closure as a precaution to potential fire spread.

Use the 5-3-1 visibility method to protect your health from smoke: https://bit.ly/2jJwwd 7. Air Monitoring Resources are available online at https://bit.ly/2tm1VG6 and https://bit.ly/2sqcLJ4 .

Wildfires are a No Drone Zone. If you fly, we can’t. More info visit Know Before You Fly, http://knowbeforeyoufly.org 

Ute Park Fire Info: https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/5820/  (air quality info, maps, etc.) and http://nmfireinfo.com 
Public Line: (505) 309-0751 (8 a.m. to 10 p.m.)