Weather Transitions for Silver Fire - 23,200 acres

For Immediate Release                                                              
Contact:  Fire Information     575-536-3382 575-536-3285

June 17, 2013- 9:30 a.m.                                                                                                          

Weather Transitions for Silver Fire

SAN LORENZO, NM – Today the weather is transitioning from a mild moist air mass that has been over the area for several days and will be replaced with hot dry air, strong winds and low humidity today. The previous day’s favorable weather conditions allowed firefighters to make progress on construction of 3 miles of containment line.  The 23,200 acre fire remains at five percent contained.

A Burned Area Emergency Response (BAER) team is scheduled to arrive Tuesday.  BAER teams are staffed by specially trained professionals and scientists who rapidly evaluate the burned area and prescribe emergency stabilization treatments.

Daily public meetings continue to be held each morning at the Hillsboro Community Center at 10 a.m.

Additional firefighters from New Mexico are replacing firefighters that are returning home for rest after battling fires in Pecos, Jemez Springs and San Lorenzo, New Mexico.  There are now 586 firefighters working the fire including five helicopters, eight 20-person hotshot crews, five 20-person hand crews, 16 engines, two dozers and 11 water tenders.

Several agencies are assisting with the Silver Fire. Cooperators include the Grant and Sierra County Sheriff’s Departments, NM State Police, Las Cruces BLM District, NM State Forestry and NM Department of Transportation.

To ensure public safety, the Aldo Leopold Wilderness has been closed east of NM State Highway 152 from the Continental Divide National ScenicTrail #74 south to Reeds Peak. NM State Highway 152 from San Lorenzo to Hillsboro remains closed. The road closure is for east and westbound traffic from 35 miles east of Bayard at mile marker 16 to 10 miles west of Hillsboro at mile marker 40. Trail #79 and the Royal John Mine Road are also closed for public safety. For more information see http://fs.usda.gov/gila  or www.nmroads.com.

Silver Fire updates can be found on Inciweb at http://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/3414. For additional fire information visit the following websites: www.facebook.com/SilverFireNM, www.flickr.com/gilaforest, www.twitter.com/SilverFireNM.

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