2025 New Mexico wildfires

Last updated

2025 New Mexico wildfires
Trout Fire June 13.jpg
Crews refilling water tanks fighting the Trout Fire on June 13
Season
←  2024

The 2025 New Mexico wildfires are a series of active wildfires currently ongoing in New Mexico.

Contents

Background

New Mexico Drought Monitor at its peak on April 22, 2025 2025 New Mexico Drought Monitor.png
New Mexico Drought Monitor at its peak on April 22, 2025

While "fire season" can vary every year in New Mexico based on weather conditions, most wildfires occur in from early May through June, before the monsoon season. However, there is an increasing fire risk year-round from climate change. Droughts are becoming more common partly from rising temperatures in the state that evaporate water from streams. Unpredictable monsoon levels can increase fire risks. New Mexico is prone to strong winds, and jet stream disruption from climate change can make them stronger. Intense winds contribute to drought, allow wildfires to spread, and dry out vegetation. Unique plant life and fine fuels in the state fuel wildfires, especially in the Eastern New Mexico grasslands. Rising temperatures will reduce snowpack and shorten the snowmelt season which can increase drought and wildfire severity. [1]

Overgrazing and logging in the late 1800s and over 100 years of strict fire suppression affected natural systems of New Mexico led to a growing wildfire risk and intensity. Scientists predict New Mexico's forests will gradually deteriorate, turning into shrublands as wildfires burn the forests. [1]

Summary

The 2025 New Mexico wildfire season has been more active than in some recent years, fueled by worsening drought, low humidity, and strong winds. [2] [3]

By early June, large fires had already erupted in southwestern New Mexico. The Buck and Trout fires—both ignited by lightning—together burned over 80,000 acres by mid-June, rapidly spreading under dry, windy conditions. [4] [5]

The Trout Fire, located in Grant County near the Gila National Forest, has consumed more than 47,000 acres as of July 9 and remains mostly contained. [6]

Prescribed fire operations have also been scheduled in many areas, particularly in the Carson and Cibola National Forests, as part of hazardous fuels reduction efforts. [7]

Smoke from large fires, particularly in the southwest, has affected air quality in adjacent counties and reduced visibility on impacted days.[ citation needed ]

List of wildfires

The following is a list of fires that burned more than 1,000 acres (400 ha), produced significant structural damage, or resulted in casualties.

NameCountyAcresStart dateContainment date [a] NotesRef.
Cottonwood Canyon Lincoln 2,011February 8February 14Caused by human activity. The fire resulted in approximately $450,000 in damage. [9]
Mogote Hill Mora, San Miguel 21,433March 14
April 7
 [10]
Trout Grant 47,294June 12July 25Lightning-caused. Burned about 12 miles (19 km) north of Silver City and prompted evacuations for the Lake Roberts area and destroyed two houses. [11] [12] [13]
Buck Catron 57,753June 11July 21Started from a lightning strike on BLM lands. Threatened structures on private ranches. [14] [15] [16]
Laguna Rio Arriba 17,415June 25September 19Lightning-caused. Burned about 8 miles (13 km) north of Gallina. [17]
Turkeyfeather Catron 24,178June 30September 10Lightning-caused. Burned 22 miles (35 km) southeast of Reserve. [18]
Goose Grant 3,690July 9August 4Lightning-caused. Burning 18 miles (29 km) northwest of Silver City. [19]
Middle Mesa Rio Arriba 5,031August 1
95%
Lightning-caused. Burning 5 miles east of Navajo Lake. [20] [21]
Vereda Blanca Sandoval 1,307August 8
34%
Lightning-caused. Burning 43 miles (69 km) northwest of Albuquerque. [22]
2025 New Mexico wildfires
Perimeters of 2025 New Mexico wildfires (map data)

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ Containment means that fire crews have established and secured control lines around the fire's perimeter. These lines are artificial barriers, like trenches or cleared vegetation, designed to stop the fire's spread, or natural barriers like rivers. Containment reflects progress in managing the fire but does not necessarily mean the fire is starved of fuel, under control, or put out. [8]

References

  1. 1 2 "New Mexico Fire Season: In-Depth Guide". wfca.com. Western Fire Chiefs Association. Retrieved June 10, 2025.
  2. ↑ "2025 New Mexico wildfires" . Retrieved October 5, 2025.
  3. ↑ "2025 Wildfire Outlook" (PDF). Retrieved October 5, 2025.
  4. ↑ "New Mexico Battles Wildfires" . Retrieved October 5, 2025.
  5. ↑ "Wildfire Map Spotlight: Trout Fire, New Mexico" . Retrieved October 5, 2025.
  6. ↑ "Wildfire Map Spotlight: Trout Fire, New Mexico" . Retrieved October 5, 2025.
  7. ↑ "NM Fire Info" . Retrieved October 5, 2025.
  8. ↑ "What containment and other wildfire related terms mean". Los Angeles: KCAL-TV. September 12, 2024. Retrieved July 25, 2025.
  9. ↑ "COTTONWOOD CANYON". Las Cruces Sun News. Retrieved February 8, 2025.
  10. ↑ Sun-News, Las Cruces. "Mogote Hill - Wildfire and Smoke Map". Las Cruces Sun-News. Retrieved March 26, 2025.
  11. ↑ "Trout Fire Information". InciWeb . Retrieved July 2, 2025.
  12. ↑ Burge, Dave (June 15, 2025). "Trout Fire experiencing rapid growth, now 12K acres". KTSM-TV . NBC . Retrieved June 17, 2025.
  13. ↑ "Trout - Wildfire and Smoke Map". data.usatoday.com. Retrieved July 25, 2025.
  14. ↑ "Buck Fire Information". InciWeb . Retrieved June 17, 2025.
  15. ↑ Kahn, Hamilton (June 16, 2025). "Wildfires in southwest New Mexico keep growing". KOAT-TV . ABC . Retrieved June 17, 2025.
  16. ↑ "BUCK - Wildfire and Smoke Map". data.timesonline.com. Retrieved July 25, 2025.
  17. ↑ "Laguna - Wildfire and Smoke Map". data.courierpress.com. Retrieved October 26, 2025.
  18. ↑ "Turkeyfeather - Wildfire and Smoke Map". data.news-press.com. Retrieved July 7, 2025.
  19. ↑ "Goose - Wildfire and Smoke Map". data.usatoday.com. Retrieved July 25, 2025.
  20. ↑ Plant, Geoffrey (August 9, 2025). "Middle Mesa Fire at 5,010 acres, 15 percent containment". Taos News. Retrieved August 10, 2025.
  21. ↑ "Middle Mesa - Wildfire and Smoke Map". data.the-review.com. Retrieved September 17, 2025.
  22. ↑ "VEREDA BLANCA - Wildfire and Smoke Map". data.the-review.com. Retrieved September 17, 2025.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.