Gila Las Cruces Type 3 Incident Management Team Incident Commander – Pete Valenzuela
Information Phone: (575) 297-0790 Hours: 8 am-8pm Email: 2023.Pass@Firenet.gov
Acres: 47,201
Location: 40 miles west of Winston, NM Containment: 13%
Personnel: 88
Start Date: May 18, 2023
Cause: Lightning
Fuels: Timber, pinon/juniper and grass
***PLEASE NOTE NEW INFORMATION PHONE NUMBER***
Portions of the Pass Fire remain active, primarily on the southern edge of the fire in the Gila Wilderness area. Vegetation will continue to dry out as a hotter and drier weather pattern develops in the area. Crews flew several drone missions to check the area east of Indian Creek where the fire has been active near Brothers West. The area continues to hold. The southernmost portion of the fire is moving slowly southward toward the Middle Fork Gila River where a transition to a sparser fuel bed of Pinyon and Juniper is expected to hold the fire. The fire is also active in Burnt Corral Canyon and fire in that area, which had been previously ignited in a firing operation, has burned into the main body of fire near Jordan Canyon. It will now slowly burn to the north, back into previously burned area, and the south. The northern portion of the fire shows very little heat on infrared mapping data and is holding well. The increase in fire activity will help to consume more of the surface fuels but it is not expected to threaten the line.
The complexity of fighting the Pass Fire is decreasing and fire managers are preparing to transition to a local type 3 organization. This change will bring the resources assigned into alignment with current and projected needs to meet the objectives and continue to protect values at risk.
Weather: Warm and dry air will continue over the next few days. Relative humidity will be in the low teens in lower areas. This will continue to dry out the vegetation contributing to an increase in fire behavior.
Aviation Restrictions: A Temporary Flight Restriction (TFR) is still in place over the Pass Fire. All non-fire aircraft are restricted. This includes civilian drones. Unauthorized aircraft in the area will ground firefighting aircraft, hindering firefighting efforts.
Closures: The Gila National Forest remains open. Visitors are encouraged to use extreme caution when driving near the fire area due to the presence of firefighters and equipment.
For More Information:
• Inciweb: https://inciweb.wildfire.gov/incident-information/nmgnf-pass-fire Inciweb is the official site for fire
information. This site is secure and updated daily.
• New Mexico Fire Information: https://nmfireinfo.com/
• Air Quality: https://www.airnow.gov