Vereda Blanca Fire Operations: Masticators are operating on the perimeter of the fire. Cutting through ponderosa and pinyon slash north of Canyon Salado. Crews are chipping ponderosa and pinyon cuttings northwest of Guadalupe Canyon while monitoring pockets of heat in the canyon that do not pose a risk to the line. Crews on the west perimeter of the fire continue to chip slash from dozer line construction and are also monitoring interior pockets of heat.

Vereda Blanca Fire Reported start date / time: August 8, 2025 / 0731

Cause: Lightning.

Location: Northeast Mt Taylor Ranger District near Black Mesa and northeast of Grants, NM. See attached map.

Size: 1,307 acres.                Strategy: Full suppression.      Containment: 4%                    

Fire Behavior: Moderate.   Fuels: Pinyon-juniper and ponderosa pine.

Resources: Firefighters from the USFS, BLM and contractors are on scene with aerial resources. 144 personnel.

Values at risk: The Vereda Blanca Fire is not a threat to any communities, and there are no evacuations in effect. 

Multiple sensitive cultural resources and potential wildlife habitat may be at risk.

Smoke: Smoke may be visible west of the surrounding areas of the Grants, Milan, Albuquerque, Santa Fe, Cuba and Jemez. An interactive smoke map at https://fire.airnow.gov allows you to zoom into areas to see the latest smoke conditions.

Safety: The health and safety of firefighters and the public are always the first priority. Members of the public should avoid the Vereda Blanca Fire area.

Drones pose a serious risk to firefighting and can cause air operations to cease.

The public is reminded that "If you fly, we can't!"