Cutoff Fire Information Final Update June 15, 2010
Incident: Cutoff Wildfire
Released: 6/15/2010
June 15, 2010 12:30 PM
CUTOFF WILDFIRE UPDATE
Fire Name: Cutoff Fire
Time/Date Started: 20:50, Wednesday, June 9, 2010
Location: 20 miles SSW of Queen, NM
Cause: Lightning
Fuels: Grasses with shrub component, Pinyon Juniper Stand, litter and understory
Size: 10,337 acres
% Contained: 80
Resources Committed: 2 Type 1 Hotshot Crews, 1 Type 2 Initial Attack Crew, 3 Engines, 4 Water Tenders, 2 Type 2 Helicopters, 3 Type 3 Helicopters, Airtankers and lead planes are available through Alamagordo Dispatch and Overhead personnel from the New Mexico Type 2 Incident Management Team.
Predicted Weather for Today: Temperatures will continue to warm while relative humidity could drop into the single digits.
Structures: No structures have been lost.
Updated Campground Information: The Dog Canyon area and most park backcountry trails are currently closed for public safety. However, all locations will be open to visitors tomorrow. "Safety threats to visitors have been sufficiently reduced that the park backcountry, Dog Canyon and McKittrick Canyon will re-open to visitor use on Wednesday," reported park resource management specialist Fred Armstrong. Visitors are reminded they must obtain a backcountry permit to stay overnight in the backcountry campgrounds, and they may still see residual smoke from some areas within the burn. Fire fighters and helicopters held the burn from progressing into the upper reaches of McKittrick Canyon, which spared the Pratt Cabin and Grotto areas, two favorite hiking destinations. Armstrong reported, "The Dog Canyon Campground took some flame so the area will look charred for a while until it greens up with summer rains. Park staff will complete an assessment of the trails in the burned area of the park later this week, so hikers should be cautious of fire-loosened rock and places where trails are hard to follow after vegetation has burned." Fire crews on site over the next few days will assist the park with vegetation thinning in the Pratt Cabin area as a contingency for future fire protection. The temporary smoking restrictions have also been lifted, however, camp stoves are always the only permitted fire source within the park.
Summary: Demobilization of resources will continue today. Plans include using aerial resources to monitor the west and central parts of the fire. Hotshot crews will coordinate with Type 2 helicopters to secure the east flank of the fire in North McKittrick Canyon with handline and bucket drops. One injury was reported due to a respiratory problem. Since the fire's intensity has been significantly decreased, the management of the fire will be turned over to a Type 3 organization on Wednesday morning. This will be the last update unless there are significant changes in fire behavior.
For additional information please visit http://www.nmfireinfo.com/ or call the Cutoff Fire Information Center at 915-964-2751 or 915-964-2752.
You may also receive information at Inciweb: http://www.inciweb.org/
Information on the status of National Park Service facilities may be obtained by calling (915) 828-3251.
