Wildfire near Los Alamos now the largest on record in New Mexico
A June 29 NASA satellite image shows smoke from the Las Conchas Fire, which has now burned over more than 100,000 acres, making it the largest wildfire on record in New Mexico.
A July 1 map shows the northeastward spread of the Las Conchas Fire.
By Summit Voice
SUMMIT COUNTY — After early morning infrared aerial surveys, fire officials say the six-day-old Las Conchas Fire has now burned across a footprint of more than 103,000 acres, making it the state’s largest single wildfire on record, after the 2003 Dry Lakes Fire, which burned more than 94,000 acres in the Gila National Forest.
The fire was most active on its northern flank Thursday, where it burned across about 6,000 acres of the Santa Clara Pueblo, threatening watersheds and historic cultural resources.
Visit the Santa Fe New Mexican Fire Dashboard for continually updated information including a live blog. Streaming information is also available via this Las Conchas Fire Twitter hashtag.
Thursday’s light rain moistened some of the fuels in the vicinity of the fire, but forecast winds and low humidity will once again dry those fuels to previous levels by Friday afternoon.
The fire has burned large swaths of terrain within Bandolier National Monument’s historic cave dwellings and came close to the historic structures at the visitor center.
According to the latest Inciweb update, firefighters will work on completing a fire line around Los Alamos and conduct further burnout operations around Pajarito Ski Area to minimize the chance of spot fires. More than 1,200 firefighters are now working on the Las Conchas Fire, which is still only reported as 3 percent contained.
On the east side, the fire may run into the burn scars from the infamous Cerro Grande Fire, a controlled burn that escaped and destroyed more than 400 Los Alamos homes and some structures at the Los Alamos National Laboratory.
The lighter fuel loads in the Cerro Grande area may help firefighters establish some control over the Las Conchas fire in that area.
