Governor announces state of emergency for fires in Gila National Forest

Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham issued an emergency declaration as two wildfires in the Gila National Forest continued to grow, burning tens of thousands of acres in the past 24 hours.

On Tuesday, the governor signed an executive order that declared an emergency in Grant County for the Trout Fire — located 12 miles north of Silver City — after county officials indicated local resources were insufficient to fight the blaze.

The order directs the state Department of Finance and Administration to allocate $750,000 to the New Mexico Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management (DHSEM) for emergency response efforts. Those funds will be used for “lodging and sheltering, health care, food, transportation or shipping necessary to protect lives or public property,” as written in the emergency declaration.

The New Mexico National Guard, airmen from Kirtland Air Force Base and personnel from Rio Rancho and Las Cruces have been activated for assistance with evacuations. The fire had burned 24,000 acres of the Gila National Forest as of Tuesday, and several hundred firefighters were aiding in fire suppression.

The Trout Fire, which began June 10, is at 0% containment and the cause is still undetermined, according to New Mexico Fire Information.

Red Cross New Mexico has set up a shelter for evacuees at the Grant County Business and Conference Center in Silver City, and the State Emergency Operations Center is coordinating the resources requested.

“New Mexicans are all too familiar with the devastation that comes from wildfires that bring danger and destruction to everything in their paths,” Lujan Grisham said. “I appreciate our federal partners for taking this threat seriously and for doing their part in supporting the responders who are working their hardest to protect the community.”

Buck Fire and smoke advisories

While the Trout Fire rages on, the lightning-caused Buck Fire southwest of Magdalena has burned an additional 15,000 acres, bringing the total to 57,000 acres burned.

The Continental Divide Trail and the Bureau of Land Management have issued a soft closure to discourage hikers from going through any trails near the fire area.

However, fire officials have contained 15% of the perimeter, according to wildfire information management system, InciWeb.

“We’d like to thank the community for your continued support,” said Incident Commander Lino Baca. “The team is working diligently to limit fire growth while minimizing impacts to grazing areas by keeping the fire footprint as small as possible. With fuel advisories in effect and limited resources available in the event of an emergency, firefighter and public safety remains our highest priority.”

The fires have contributed to smoke-filled skies, and the New Mexico Departments of Health and Environment issued a smoke advisory Tuesday afternoon for communities impacted by the Buck and Trout fires.

Smoke from the Buck Fire may be visible from N.M. 12 southeast of Aragon. The Trout Fire is expected to move north and east, depending on the weather, and smoke may harm air quality as far as the Las Cruces area, according to a news release from NMDOH.

If visibility is under 5 miles, the air quality is unhealthy for young children, adults over age 65, pregnant women, and people with heart and/or lung disease, asthma or other respiratory illness and they should reduce outdoor activity.

If visibility is under 1 mile, the air quality is unhealthy for everyone, and all should stay indoors, NMDOH wrote in a news statement.

“As smoke from the Trout and Buck fires affects communities in Grant and Catron counties, we urge residents to stay alert and take steps to protect their health,” said Cindy Hollenberg, Air Quality Bureau chief for the New Mexico Environment Department. “We’ll continue to monitor and provide the most accurate data possible so that residents have timely and accurate information for decision-making.”