Here’s a look at today’s headlines:
A number of small fires have started recently in the southwest corner of the state. The Round Fire was caused by lightning on June 6th in the Aldo Leopold Wilderness of the Black Range Ranger District. The fire is 1,315 acres and is being managed for multiple resource objectives. The Straw Fire was caused by lightning on June 20th in the Gila Wilderness. The fire is 150 acres in size and is being managed for multiple resource objectives. The fire is a fourth-entry fire burning in the same area as the 2011 Miller Fire, 2003 Dry Lakes Complex, and the 1993 Straw Fire. Fire behavior and effects are expected to be somewhat moderated by this fire history.
On the Reserve Ranger District, the Teacher Fire is 50 acres in size. The fire is creeping with minimal growth occurring. The Gravel Fire is an estimated 355 acres and is located in the Bear and Whitewater-Baldy fire scares. Snow Lake, Dipping Vat, Willow Creek and Ben Lilly Campgrounds remain open at this time.
The Corral Fire on the Wilderness Ranger District of the Gila National Forest began on June 4th and was most recently reported at 2,473 acres in size. The fire is located between the East Fork of the Gila River and Black Canyon to the south. This is a low to moderate intensity fire with no recorded history of fire in the area.
The Baca Fire located six miles northeast of Quemado Lake is currently over 11,000 acres. Closures remain in effect around the Baca Fire. Learn more on the Forest Service Website.
The Silver City Philanthropic Educational Organization recently awarded Allison Sedillos, Valedictorian at Cobre High School, the 2017 Nancy Champlin P.E.O. Foundation Scholarship worth $1,000. Allison plants to pursue a degree in biology at NMSU Las Cruces and hopes to enter a medical field in the future.
The Grant County Veterans Memorial Business and Conference Center celebrated a grand re-opening with a ribbon cutting and open house last week. Visitors heard from Grant County Commissioner Brett Kasten, Representative Rudy Martinez and others.