The Trout Fire, as of this morning, was announced to be 83% contained at 47,294 acres. Today, the local Gila Las Cruces Type 3 Incident Management Team officially assumed command of the Trout Fire. The Gila Las Cruces Type 3 Team looks forward to building on the strong progress made so far and is committed to maintaining momentum in containment, resource protection, and public safety. The Gila Las Cruces Type 3 Team will continue working closely with local communities and cooperators, whose collaboration has been essential to the success of this incident. Highway 15 is still closed.
Forest Service Burned Area Emergency Response (BAER) specialists have completed their field data evaluation and developed the Soil Burn Severity (SBS) map for the Trout Fire. The SBS map indicates that approximately 9,996 acres (20%) of the fire area experienced unburned or very low soil burn severity, 28,860 acres (58%) sustained low severity, 8,647 acres (17%) showed moderate severity, and 2,069 acres (4%) were classified as high severity. Utilizing remote sensing imagery in combination with field-validated soil data, the BAER team produced the final SBS map to support further analysis. This map will serve as a critical tool for estimating post-fire erosion, sediment delivery, stream flow changes, and debris flow probabilities.
The Hidalgo Youth Conservation Corps (YCC) Team is actively engaged in a significant construction project to install barns and corrals intended for horses attending fairs, rodeos, and other events, as well as those traveling along the interstate. The project will feature two 100-foot by 12-foot American Steel barns, each with concrete footings and 10 stalls. As part of the project, team members are gaining valuable hands-on experience in large-scale construction, including building layout, trenching in sandy soil, rebar installation, and corral assembly.
In New Mexico Game and Fish news:
The New Mexico Department of Game and Fish has announced the opening of the Glenwood Allred Wildlife Management Area (WMA), the newest addition to the state’s network of 43 WMAs. Located in southwest New Mexico, the 108-acre site enhances recreational opportunities for bird-watching enthusiasts by providing expanded access to diverse habitats, including adjacent Forest Service lands and the San Francisco River. In addition to exploring Glenwood Allred WMA, visitors can also enjoy birding along the designated trail at the nearby Glenwood Hatchery, further enriching the region’s appeal for wildlife observation.
