The Gail Fire Near Mayhill, New Mexico: Wednesday Morning Update
The Reader visited responders at the Incident Command Center at the Gail Fire on Wednesday, March 19th. Here’s what we learned.
Yesterday afternoon, what would later be named the Gail Fire broke out on a private property near mile marker 31 on Highway 82 near Mayhill, New Mexico.
As of this morning, Wednesday, March 19th, officials list the fire at around 235 acres and zero containment but are hopeful with responders’ continued work.
Fire Crews from Otero and Lincoln counties and area fire departments responded along with federal, state, and county agencies and contractors. The Silver City hotshot crew arrived to join the Sacramento and Smokey Bear hotshots this morning around 11:00 a.m.
Incident Commander Caleb Finch estimates that over 150 responders will be on scene throughout the day.
One outbuilding but no structures have been affected. Homes and other nearby structures remain safe at the time of this report. No injuries or fatalities have occurred as of Wednesday morning.
This morning, sawyer crews could be heard over the wind diligently clearing fire lines near the heart of the burn. Crews will continue constructing and enhancing fire lines and mopping up around structures.
Officials confirmed that the Gail Fire moved into the 1993 Burgett Fire burn scar, reducing its intensity and increasing their ability to work towards containment.
Winds are expected to remain between 18-31 miles per hour, with gusts up to 50 miles per hour.
Evacuation orders are still in effect for a small area near the blaze, while a larger area around the fire remains in Set status. According to first responders, evacuations will be assessed again later this afternoon.
The Cloudcroft VFD station on Highway 82 remains open for evacuees.
Gail Fire Incident Commander and Sacramento Ranger District Fire Management Officer Caleb Finch and Otero County Emergency Services Office Director Matthew Clark took the Reader to a home built with fire-resistant stucco and good defensible space, which narrowly avoided the blaze.
Both Finch and Clark stress the importance of cross-agency and community collaboration and response to protect lives and resources like homes, villages, and forests.
The cause of the fire is currently under investigation and is unknown at this time.
Otero County Emergency Services recommends the Genesys Protect app for evacuation and county alerts. For area fire updates, follow the Watch Duty app.
The Reader will continue to report new developments for the Gail Fire. Read our initial report here.
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