New Fire Starts on Mount Taylor Ranger District 071926

McKenzie Ridge Fire in Zuni Mountains
Gobbler Springs and Spud Fires in Mount Taylor Mountains

Albuquerque, NM – July 19, 2026 — Fire resources are actively responding to suppress new fire starts that may have resulted from scattered thunderstorms yesterday throughout central New Mexico.

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!"

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.

Mount Taylor Ranger District- Zuni Mountains: McKenzie Ridge Fire
Reported Date / Time: July 18, 2026 / 1536 Cause: Lightning. Size: 1/10 acre.
Location: South of Bluewater Lake in north central Zuni Mountains, east of NM 612 on the Mount Taylor Ranger District of the Cibola National Forest.
Resources on scene: U.S. Forest Service – Cibola NF&NGs Mount Taylor Ranger District Crew 3-2.
Operation: No new fire growth from yesterday's response. Firefighters are reinforcing containment lines and continuing to extinguish interior hot spots.
Strategy: Direct extinguishment.
Fuels: Piñon-juniper and pine. Fire Behavior: Low.
Smoke: May be visible east of NM 612, west of Grants and Milan, NM and south of I-40 in the surrounding areas of the northern Zuni Mountains.

Mt. Taylor Ranger District- Mount Taylor Mountains: Gobbler Springs Fire
Reported Date / Time: July 18, 2026 / 0949 Cause: Lightning. Size: 1/10 acre.
Location: Northeast of La Mosca Lookout in Central Mount Taylor Mountains on the Mount Taylor Ranger District of the Cibola National Forest.
Resources on scene: U.S. Forest Service – Cibola NF&NGs Mount Taylor Ranger District Engine 623.
Strategy: Direct extinguishment.
Fuels: Ponderosa Pine. Fire Behavior: Low.
Smoke: May be visible northeast of Grants, NM and north of I-40 in the surrounding areas of the southeast Mount Taylor Mountains.

Mt. Taylor Ranger District- Mount Taylor Mountains: Spud Fire
Reported Date / Time: July 18, 2026 / 0850 Cause: Undetermined. Size: 1/10 acre.
Location: Northeast of La Mosca Lookout in Southern Mount Taylor Mountains on the Mount Taylor Ranger District of the Cibola National Forest.
Resources on scene: AZ-HUT-6861
Operation: Firefighters are reinforcing containment lines and continuing to extinguish interior hot spots.
Strategy: Direct extinguishment.
Fuels: Timber Litter. Fire Behavior: Low.
Smoke: May be visible northeast of Grants, NM and north of I-40 in the surrounding areas of the southeast Mount Taylor Mountains.
An interactive smoke map at https://fire.airnow.gov/  allows you to zoom into your area to see the latest smoke conditions.

Weather for Grants, NM (July 19): A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms after noon. Partly sunny, with a high near 85. Calm wind becoming east around 5 mph in the afternoon. Tonight: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms before 9pm. Partly cloudy, with a low around 59. East wind around 5 mph becoming calm in the evening. Monday (July 20): Showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm between noon and 3pm, then showers and thunderstorms likely after 3pm. Partly sunny, with a high near 87. Calm wind becoming northeast around 5 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/ 

This will be the only release on these fires unless fire behavior significantly changes.

Fire Restrictions remain in effect on the Cibola National Forest and National Grasslands as previously announced: www.fs.usda.gov/r03/cibola/alerts 
Mount 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.