ENVIRONMENT
Crews respond to small wildfire near New Mexico's tallest peak
Wheeler Fire near Taos burning in blowdown area caused by 2021 high-wind event
Published
Modified
Firefighters responded on Tuesday to a new wildfire in Carson National Forest near Wheeler Peak, the highest mountain in New Mexico.
Crews are using a direct extinguishment strategy to mop and secure the 0.1-acre Wheeler Fire, which is exhibiting smoldering and creeping behavior 鈥� indicators of low-intensity fire and minimal spread.
A local community member on Sunday reported smoke rising from this densely forested area of the Questa Ranger District, where hundreds of trees were toppled in a rare high-wind event that swept through Taos County in December 2021.
A chinook helicopter dropped water while ground crews determined how best to access the fire鈥檚 remote location.
While the cause of the Wheeler Fire remains unconfirmed, several small lightning-caused fires have been reported recently throughout Taos County as the state鈥檚 monsoon season intensifies.
The Taos Pueblo Emergency Management Team dispatched its Snowballs hotshots crew to the Bear Stew Fire on Monday. Mop-up work on that fire continued into Tuesday.
Three other small fires have been reported since Friday, a 2-acre blaze Friday afternoon near Forest Road 439, a .01-acre fire north of Las Trampas and a tree fire in Upper Red River Valley, according to the Forest Service.
John Miller is the Journal鈥檚 northern New Mexico correspondent. He can be reached at jmiller@abqjournal.com.
