Mimbres, NM, July 7, 2019 – The Wilderness Ranger District, Gila National Forest has four fires within the boundaries of the Aldo Leopold and Gila Wildernesses. The South Fire is the largest and has a Type 3 Incident Management Team assigned. As fire management officials move forward, they will continue to actively monitor, and for the South Fire they have moved to a confine and containment strategy. Forest Service Manual (FSM) 2324.1 states "The objectives of fire management in wilderness are to (1) Permit lightning caused fires to play, as nearly as possible, their natural ecological role within wilderness."

Part of the Forest Service's responsibility and direction is "Manage the wilderness resource to ensure its character and values are dominant and enduring. Its management must be consistent over time and between areas to ensure its present and future availability and enjoyment as wilderness. Manage wilderness to ensure that human influence does not impede the free play of natural forces or interfere with natural successions in the ecosystems and to ensure that each wilderness offers outstanding opportunities for solitude or a primitive and unconfined type of recreation." (FSM 2300 introduction) The Agency Administrator, who is assigned to manage the "big picture" and make informed decisions in coordination with the Incident Commander, is District Ranger Rachelle Huddleston-Lorton. Mechanized equipment has been authorized by the district ranger for firefighter and public safety inside the Aldo Leopold Wilderness. This equipment includes: chainsaws, leaf-blowers, weed eaters, and helicopter water-drops.

This authority has been delegated to the District Ranger via the mechanism of FSM 2326.1 which states: "2326.1 - Conditions Under Which Use May Be Approved are:
1. Emergencies where the situation involves an inescapable urgency and temporary need for speed beyond that available by primitive means. Categories include fire suppression, health and safety, …”

On the South Fire, mechanized equipment has been used to clear trails to create a safe position for the crews to have access to the fire as needed, and to allow for pack animals and their handlers to safely bring needed materials to the wildland firefighters. These wilderness fires are all in steep and rugged terrain and access in and out can be difficult.

For information on the Gila National Forest, check out our website at https://www.fs.usda.gov/gila