The U.S. Forest Service-Carson National Forest
Fire Luna Incident News: 10/26/2020
Surface: 10,142 acres | Containment rate: 27%
Personal total: 265
Current situation: Yesterday, a cold front moved through the area bringing strong winds, rain and snow. Firefighters worked to maintain and strengthen containment lines from the Burnt Canyon to the Luján Canyon and to contain spot fires in Canyon Bull and west of Canyon Moon. The west side of the fire from Canyon Burned to Rito Who knows didn’t see movement yesterday. In the afternoon, rain, snow and sleet started falling over the fire area. For the safety of firefighting resources, all staff were moved back to camping at the base of operations at Mora High School.
Today, winter storm conditions are forecast with 3-6 inches of snow for the fire area. Snow will cover the area of the fire and greenery on fire will continue to burn, fire is not expected to increase in size. Fire managers will evaluate the conditions to determine whether it’s safe to send firefighters to the line today. Your health and safety are our top priority.
How close is my community fire? The Luna Fire is burning 2 miles from Chacón, 15 miles from Mora, 5 miles from Guadalupita, 4.5 miles from Sierra Bonita, 3.5 miles from Black Lake, 9.5 miles from Angel Fire and 7 miles from Hidden Valley.
Road Closures: FS Road 76 on Highway 518. County Road B-001 (Luna Canyon Road), open for residents only. County Road B-001 will reopen for owners only: starting Saturday, October 24, 2020, County Road B-001 (Luna Canyon Road) by Highway 121 (Chacón) se will reopen citizens who reside or own property on that road. Citizens should provide adequate documentation (physical address, property taxes, etc.) ) proving they have permission to access the area. Law enforcement will still be stationed at County Road B-001 for these checks.
Weather: Today, snow, sometimes heavy with accumulations ranging from 2-4 inches. Temperatures will be very cold, ranging from 19 to 25 degrees, with thermal sensation values as low as-5 degrees.
Evacuations: A Voluntary Evacuation Warning has been issued for the area of the Moon Canyon.
Fire Restrictions: The forest is very dry; conditions are similar to those you could see in June, not late October. Because of this, stage 1 fire restrictions have been put in place in the Carson National Forest to reduce the risk of wildfires caused by human action. For more information on fire restrictions visit www.fs.usda.gov/alerts/carson/alerts-notices.
Fire Closures: The Carson National Forest has issued a temporary lockdown (Forest Order 02-484) that prohibits the public from entering the area around the Luna Fire, including all lands, roads and trails of the National Forest System affected by the fire. This closure includes hunting access. For more information on fire closure visit www.fs.usda.gov/alerts/carson/alerts-notices. A temporary flight restriction over the fire remains in effect.
Smoke forecast: Light smoke production may occur at hot spots along the north and northeast edge of the fire, but smoke from the Luna Fire is not expected to impact surrounding communities today or tomorrow. People susceptible to smoke from wildfires should take precautions and use the New Mexico Department of Health’s 5-3-1 visibility method to determine whether it is safe to be outdoors. Learn more at https://nmtracking.org/environment/air/FireAndSmoke.html.
Safe message: Rain, snow and sleet will make driving conditions unsafe today. If you have to drive, slow down and take into account changing conditions.
Ready, Ready, Now!: Forest fires can start at any time, as we’ve seen with the Luna Fire, which requires firefighters and residents to be on maximum alert to respond to these emergencies. Ready, Ready, Now! working in collaboration with Living with Fire in New Mexico and other community forest fire education efforts to help residents prepare for a forest fire emergency. For more information on forest fire prevention and how to prepare for them, visit www.wildlandfirersg.org.
Agencias Cooperantes: Picuris Pueblo Tribe, Taos Pueblo Tribe, Jicarilla Apache Nation, Sandia Pueblo Tribe, Sierra Bonita Rincon Fire Department, State of New Mexico County Fire Administrator, Angel Fire Department, Colfax County Fire, Colfax County Emergency Operations Manager, Taos County EMS, Taos County Fire, Taos Canyon, Rio Fernando District, Village of Chacon, Kit Carson Electric Co-op, Mora County Sheriff, New Mexico State Police, New Mexico Livestock Inspector, Colfax County Sheriff, Taos County Sheriff, New Mexico Game and Fish, Angel Fire Police, Mora San Miguel Electric Co-op, New Mexico Dept of Transportation, Tri-State Electric, Black Lake Community, Black Lake Ranch, Luna Canyon Cattle Company, Black Lake Cattle Association, Luna/Chacon Cattle Association.
Incident website: https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/7246/
New Mexico Fire Info: https://nmfireinfo.com/
Public Information Line: 575-377-4263
Incident email: 2020.Luna@firenet.gov
Leave a Reply