If the Cajete Fire moves beyond Los Griegos Mountain it will slow when it hits burn scars from the 2013 Thompson Ridge Fire and the 2011 Las Conchas Fire.
A Type 1 IC team took command of the incident at 0600 MDT this morning after active burning increased the size of the blaze to at least 700 acres. Extreme fire conditions have been observed. Gusty winds, high temperatures and low relative humidity continue today although a red flag warning has not been issued at post time.
The Las Conchas Fire started in late June of 2011 when an aspen tree fell onto power lines in the Jemez Mountains then quickly spread and became one of the most extensive wildland fire in New Mexico history. The Thompson Ridge Fire was the inspiration for this 2013 post. Note ponderosa pine in the photo at this Santa Fe New Mexican piece.
Wildland fires in New Mexico are common by this time of the year and at least eleven wildfires are burning.
Yesterday's ip photo was taken from the casita. So far, Baja Waldo has been mostly spared from smoke but Santa Fe and Los Alamos have been inundated causing air alerts.
Black Hills-based Wildfire Today uploaded a map of the Cajete Burn to twitter. That bare spot to the upper right of the blaze is the Valles Caldera.
Cajete Fire west of Los Alamos causes evacuations https://t.co/uGH2cnMTPb pic.twitter.com/vpss9geSJZ— Wildfire Today (@wildfiretoday) June 16, 2017
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Update, 18 June, 0627 MDT: fire has grown to at least 1315A. with 55% containment but likely grew overnight as gusty winds are a factor. An abandoned campfire is the official cause so suppression is mandated. Had it been lightning-caused the Santa Fe National Forest would have managed it as a habitat and watershed improvement.
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