May 24 Update
Incident: Whitewater Baldy Complex Wildfire
Released: 5/24/2012
ICP is relocating from its current location to Reserve Fairgrounds today. Phone numbers for fire information will be changing and an updated number will be posted as soon as possible. In the interim please call the Reserve Ranger District at (575) 533-6231 for fire information. The Whitewater Fire (detected on Wednesday, May 16) has merged with the Baldy Fire (detected on Wednesday, May 9), and is now being called the Whitewater-Baldy Complex. The fire has now come out of the Gila Wilderness and on to the Gila National Forest in the Willow Creek Subdivision and crossed State Road 159 at Silver Creek Divide and working its way into Mineral Creek. Due to the fires extreme fire behavior, proximity to private land, and high winds forecasted, a Type 1 Fire Management Team has been ordered and will begin mobilizing to Reserve today. The Whitewater-Baldy Complex is now 70,579 acres. It continues to burn in steep, rugged terrain of mixed conifer forest being driven by strong winds. The fire remains at 0% containment as firefighters are unable to directly suppress the fire due to extreme fire behavior and rough terrain. This extreme fire behavior has created large amounts of smoke which was visible in many communities in southeast New Mexico as well as some in eastern Arizona. We are under Red Flag Warnings today which will continue through Saturday. A voluntary-evacuation of the town of Mogollon is now in effect. The fire did reach the Willow Creek Subdivision and is burning on both sides of the creek. Twelve homes and seven small outbuildings were confirmed destroyed late yesterday afternoon and additional structure damage assessment continues today. Many structures are still at risk due to extreme fire behavior and high fuel loading. Personnel from New Mexico State Forestry and U.S. Forest will be making personal contact with landowners within the next 24 hours.
