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Grants, NM —National Park Service staff discovered a lightning-caused fire burning on El Malpais National Monument lands on the afternoon of Saturday, June 15. The Encerrita Fire, reported by the Oso Lookout, is located approximately 15 miles south-southwest of Grants, NM.
As of Monday morning, there were approximately 60 firefighters working on the incident. The fire is burning in Ponderosa pine forest with a grass and timber litter understory with some medium logging slash from logging operations that were conducted pre-WWII.
On Monday, crews will begin establishing containment lines on the west, south and north sides of the fire to prevent fire spread onto neighboring jurisdictions; firefighters will be aided by the Continental Divide Trail (CDT) northeast and northwest of the fire as well as other natural features. The 369-acre East Encerrito prescribed fire, which was completed in April, is approximately 1.5 miles north of the fire; this fuels treatment is expected to be an effective fire break to the north due to the lack of fuel remaining in that area. Ground crews will be assisted by a helicopter beginning Monday.
The Encerrita fire is expected to be active over the coming days as temperatures will be in the upper 80s and low 90s, humidity will remain low, and winds will be breezy in the afternoons. Rain is forecasted over the area later in the week, which is expected to temper fire activity.
The Continental Divide Trail and Zuni-Acoma Trail are closed in El Malpais National Monument from Porter Ranch Rd off Hwy 53 to Hwy 117. The western Zuni-Acoma Trail parking lot is closed. Closures have been posted and the public is asked to avoid closed roads and trails. The west side of the CDT remains open from the Emergency Operations Center to Porter Ranch Road. The El Calderon Trail remains open.
Additional updates on the Encerrita fire will be available on Facebook @ElMalpaisNPS. Closure orders may be adjusted in the coming days based on fire activity; please contact the El Malpais Visitor Center at (505) 876-2783 or visit www.nps.gov/elma for additional information on closures in the monument. www.nps.gov
About the National Park Service:
More than 20,000 National Park Service employees care for America’s 429 national parks and work with communities across the nation to help preserve local history and create close-to-home recreational opportunities. Learn more at www.nps.gov, and on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube.
Last updated: June 17, 2024