Firefighters Respond to Lightning Fires
on Mountainair Ranger District
Albuquerque, NM – July 16, 2026 — Firefighters continue to respond to multiple lightning strike fires as a result of Wednesday's scattered thunderstorms on the Mountainair Ranger District.
An infrared (IR) flight is planned for today for central and northern New Mexico zone. IR aircraft are used to detect new fires started by lightning when they are small.
Safety: The health and safety of firefighters and the public are always the first priority. Members of the public should avoid the fire areas.
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!".
Mountainair Ranger District- Manzano Mountains Wilderness: Gallo Fire
Reported Date / Time: July 16, 2026 / 1100.
Cause: Lightning Size: est. 1/10 acre.
Location: East of Gallo Peak, in the Manzano Mountain Wilderness within the Mountainair Ranger District of the Cibola National Forest.
Resources Responding: U.S. Forest Service.
Smoke may be visible from Manzano, Torreon and the surrounding areas of the east Manzano Mountains.
Mountainair Ranger District- Manzano Mountains Wilderness: Kayser Fire
Reported Date / Time: July 15, 2026 / 1610.
Cause: Lightning Size: 1/10 acre. Containment: 100%
Location: East of Manzano Peak, in the Manzano Mountain Wilderness within the Mountainair Ranger District of the Cibola National Forest.
Resources Responding: U.S. Forest Service – Cibola National Forest Engine 641 and Idaho Engine 51.
Operations: With containment, fire crews will continue to actively monitor the fire until declared out.
Residual Smoke may be visible from Manzano, Torreon and the surrounding areas of the east Manzano Mountains.
This will be the only release on the Kayser Fire unless conditions or the situation warrants additional information.
Mountainair Ranger District- Manzano Mountains: Capilla Fire
Reported Date / Time: July 15, 2026 / 1555.
Cause: Lightning Size: 1/10 acre. Containment: 100%
Location: South of Capilla Peak, in the Manzano Mountains within the Mountainair Ranger District of the Cibola National Forest.
Responding Resources: U.S. Forest Service – Bitterroot National Forest Engine 651 and Cibola National Forest BC 3-4
Operations: With containment, fire crews will continue to actively monitor the fire until declared out.
Residual Smoke may be visible from Manzano, Torreon and the surrounding areas of the east Manzano Mountains.
This will be the only release on the Capilla Fire unless conditions or the situation warrants additional information.
An interactive smoke map at https://fire.airnow.gov/ allows you to zoom into your area to see the latest smoke conditions.
Weather forecast for Mountainair, NM: This Afternoon (July 16): A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms after noon. Mostly sunny, with a high near 85. Southwest wind 5 to 10 mph becoming southeast in the afternoon. Tonight: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms before 9pm. Partly cloudy, with a low around 56. South wind 5 to 10 mph. Friday (July 17) Showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm between noon and 3pm, then showers and thunderstorms likely after 3pm. Increasing clouds, with a high near 85. South wind 5 to 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New rainfall amounts of less than a tenth of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms. https://www.weather.gov/
Fire Restrictions remain in effect on the Cibola National Forest and National Grasslands as previously announced: www.fs.usda.gov/r03/cibola/alerts
- Mt. Taylor Ranger District: Stage II Fire Restriction Order 03-03-02-26-09
- Kiowa/Rita-Blanca Ranger District: Stage I Fire Restriction Order 03-03-07-26-08
- Mountainair & Sandia Ranger Districts: Stage I Fire Restriction Order 03-03-00-26-05
- Magdalena Ranger District Stage I Fire Restriction Order 03-03-03-26-06.
About the Forest Service: The Forest Service has, for more than 100 years, brought people and communities together to answer the call of conservation. Grounded in world-class science and technology — and rooted in communities — the Forest Service connects people to nature and to each other. The Forest Service cares for shared natural resources in ways that promote lasting economic, ecological, and social vitality. The agency manages 193 million acres of public land, provides assistance to state and private landowners, and maintains the largest wildland fire and forestry research organizations in the world. The Forest Service also has either a direct or indirect role in stewardship of about 900 million forested acres within the U.S., of which over 130 million acres are urban forests where most Americans live.
