By Lynn Janes

The Silver City Town Council held a regular meeting May 27, 2025. Attendance to the meeting included Mayor Ken Ladner, Mayor Pro Tem Guadalupe Cano, Nicholas Prince, Rudy Bencomo (phone) and Stan Snider.

The town proclaimed June 2-8, 2025, First New Mexico Bank Wild, Wild West Rodeo Week. The Southwest Horsemen's Association and Casper Baca rodeo will be presenting the rodeo. This will be the rodeo's 33rd year in Silver City. Cattle ranching had been created by the early settlers of North America, and it has been a major contributor to the history, culture and customs of the county. The rodeo helps keep these qualities alive and has been a major tourist attraction. Mr. Rocko had not been able to be there at this time but came just before the meeting ended and accepted the proclamation and thanked the town.

NEAR CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS TUESDAY FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTHERN NEW MEXICO... .A passing upper-level trough will result in breezy winds from the west on Tuesday across southern New Mexico. 20-foot winds near 20 mph are expected Tuesday afternoon with gusts to 30 to 35 mph. Although the winds are not very strong, fuels are critically dry across the area and relative humidity will be near 5 percent. These factors combined with the ongoing wildfires in the Gila Region will result in near-critical fire weather conditions on Tuesday.
Southwest Mountains/Gila NF/Apache NF/GLZ-
Southwest Deserts and Lowlands/Las Cruces BLM/GLZ-
South Central Lowlands and Southern Rio Grande Valley/BLM/GLZ-
1224 PM MDT Sun Jun 15 2025

Southwest Area
Incident Management Team
TEAM 4 – Andrew Mandel – INCIDENT COMMANDER
Increased fire activity observed on Trout Fire as critically dry conditions persist

Map and Smoke outlook below: [Editor's Note: Some browsers are not showing the map, but you can download it.]

Fire Update for June 15, 2025

Fire Information Phone: 575-323-8964 (8 a.m. – 8 p.m.)

Media Information Phone: 575-323-8984 (8 a.m. – 8 p.m.)

Acres: 12,330                                                        Start Date: June 12, 2025

Location: 12 miles north of Silver City, NM         Cause: Under Investigation

Personnel: 552 Fuels: Grass, brush and timber       Containment: 0%

USFS began defensive backfiring operations @ 10PM.

PNM has initiated a PSPS Power shut off at the request of the USFS for the safety of their crews conducting night operations in support of the ongoing containment efforts of the Trout Fire.

Power has been shut for all communities along Hwy 35 and 15 from the Wilderness Ranger Station to the Cliff Dwellings until 0800 Sunday morning. It is estimated that 375 customers will be impacted.

The Sapillo VFD Station and the Upper Mimbres VFD Thunderbird Station have back-up generators if residents need electricity to charge devices.

I would like to provide an update on the Trout Fire. The fire is currently 5,234 acres and 0% contained.

Evacuation Map below. [Editor's Note: If the entire map does not show in your browser, you have the option of downloading it by clicking the tiny download arrow below it.]

As a matter of public safety, residents in the Gattons Park and Camp Thunderbird communities were placed in "Go" status and ordered to evacuate. New Mexico State Police, Grant County Sheriff's Office and Upper Mimbres VFD evacuated residents in the communities along Highway 35 from the Sapillo Campground to the Wilderness Ranger Station. Highway 35 is closed at Wilderness Ranger Station for all incoming traffic.

ROAD CLOSURE:
CLOSURE- Silver City Pinos Altos Area
Closure, NM 15 northbound and southbound from mile marker 17, 10 miles north of Pinos Altos to mile marker 22, 15 miles north of Pinos Altos. Closed due to a forest fire.

CLOSURE- Lake Roberts to Mimbres
Closure, NM 35 eastbound from mile marker 27, 0.5 miles south of NM 15 to mile marker 11, 11 miles north of NM 152. Closed due to a forest fire. Roadway to be used for evacuations only.