Mountainair, NM, July 8, 2020, 11pm – The Ojo De Los Casos Fire, burning on the north end of the Mountainair Ranger District was reported just before 6pm this evening.
Air resources were quickly dispatched with several air tanker retardant drops made as well as helicopter water bucket drops before darkness grounded all aircraft. The fire activity has slowed through the evening allowing firefighters on the ground to establish a good anchor point and begin line construction. Engine crews and hotshots will be working overnight as it is deemed safe to do so. Additional hotshot crews will be arriving to begin work in the morning. The Albuquerque Zone Type 3 Incident Management Team has been ordered to manage the fire and will begin arriving tomorrow.
The fire location is roughly 7 miles southwest of Chilili and 9 miles northwest of Tajique in an area considered the “neck” of the Doghead. It is believed that the southern portion of the fire has burned into the 2016 Doghead fire scar. The fire was last estimated to be 15 to 20 acres with no containment at this time. Although fire activity has died down, all residents in the area are encouraged to pay close attention to this fire and have a plan in case evacuations become necessary.
For more information, please call Arlene Perea from the Mountainair Ranger District at 505-506-1959. Please be patient as phone lines are very busy.
