Closure lifted on National Forest System lands north and east of Highway 35

Silver City, NM, June 25, 2025—The Gila National Forest has adjusted the Trout Fire area closure. The updated closure reopens National Forest System lands north and east of New Mexico Highway 35 to public access.

New Mexico Highway 15 remains closed from just south of Ben Lilly to the Highway 15/35 intersection.

An area closure for public safety remains in effect that includes all National Forest System lands south and west of New Mexico Highway 35 and east of New Mexico Highway 15 to the southern forest boundary, as well as lands west of New Mexico Highway 15, located south of Spring Creek Trail #247, east of Sheep Corral Trail #231, Forest Road 4083V, Tadpole Ridge Trail #232 and Sycamore Canyon Trail #234, and north of Bear Creek from below Preacher’s Point to Forest Road 506 below Ben Lilly Memorial. 

SILVER CITY, NM – The Western New Mexico University Board of Regents met virtually on Wednesday, June 25, 2025. Present at the meeting were Regents Steven Neville, John V. Wertheim, J. Dean Reed and Keana Huerta.

The meeting began with Chair Neville inviting Provost and Acting President Dr. Jack Crocker to give a report. Crocker ceded some of his time to Chief Information Officer Michael Acosta, who updated the regents on the efforts to recover from the cyber incident. Acosta noted that desktop computers were being rebuilt and that voicemail would be available soon.

I 25 northbound and southbound lanes from milepost 83 to 94 are now clear. Removed from NM Roads.  

DIFFICULT DRIVING CONDITIONS T or C to Red Rock  

Difficult Driving Conditions, I 25 eastbound and westbound from mile marker 83, Hot Springs Landing (HOT SPRINGS LANDING) to mile marker 94, 15 miles north of T or C.

Standing water on roadway. Use extreme caution.

Flash Flood Warning
National Weather Service El Paso Tx/Santa Teresa NM
220 PM MDT Wed Jun 25 2025

The National Weather Service in El Paso Tx/Santa Teresa has issued a

* Flash Flood Warning for...
The Trout Fire Burn Area in...
Northeastern Grant County in southwestern New Mexico...

* Until 530 PM MDT.

* At 220 PM MDT, Doppler radar indicated thunderstorms producing
heavy rain over the Trout Fire Burn Area. Between 0.2 and 0.5 inches of rain have fallen. Additional rainfall amounts of 0.5 to 1.5 inches are possible in the warned area. Flash flooding is ongoing or expected to begin shortly.

Grant County, NM — The Grant County Sheriff’s Office is announcing the lifting of the evacuation orders for Zones 1,2,3,4, 5, 6 and 7 and the re-opening of Highway 35. The Sheriff’s Office strongly urges non-residents to avoid the area entirely. The area remains at high risk for flooding, and numerous fire personnel and emergency responders are actively working in and around the affected zones.

There is still an area closure on the Gila National Forest in the vicinity of the Trout fire, and road access via Highway 15 remains fully restricted due to continued suppression repair. In addition, fire restrictions are still fully in effect throughout the region. Residents and visitors must comply with all fire safety regulations to prevent additional fire starts and support ongoing suppression efforts.

Silver City, NM, June 26, 2025—A Burned Area Emergency Response (BAER) team, led by Mike Natharius, began making burned area surveys of the Trout Fire yesterday. BAER team assessments are rapid evaluations of post-fire conditions of the burned landscape to determine the level of risk from potential flooding and debris flow to values on National Forest System lands. If unacceptable risks are found the team recommends appropriate and effective emergency stabilization measures to reduce the risks to national forest lands and values. BAER emergency stabilization efforts are focused on the protection of human life and safety, property, and critical cultural and natural resources.