Summit County Citizens Voice

Nighttime burnout operations at the massive Whitewater-Baldy Fire complex in New Mexico.

Wildfire season totals still below average to date, at 995,000 acres

By Bob Berwyn

SUMMIT COUNTY — While media attention and firefighting resources have been focused on the High Park Fire, burning near the densely populated Colorado Front Range, the wildfire season is heating up elsewhere around the country.

The Little Bear Fire in New Mexico, burning on the Lincoln National Forest in New Mexico, is among the most destructive, having destroyed 224 homes and cabins.

The National Interagency Fire Center reported four new large fires Tuesday (June 12) for a total of 19 large fires burning around the country. To-date, the acreage affected by wildfires still remains about 50 percent below the 10-year average, with the NIFC reported a total of 995,000 acres burned so far this year. The average for the year to-date is 1.5 million acres.

Last year, wildfires had burned across more than 4 million acres by mid-July, with the bulk of that figure due to the widespread firestorm in Texas.

Large wildfires are burning in:

Alaska (1)
Arizona (4)
California (1)
Colorado (2)
Idaho (1)
Nevada (2)
New Mexico (3)
Utah (3)
Wyoming (2)

In New Mexico, the 36,237 acre Little Bear Fire has destroyed 224 residential structures. It’s now reported as 35 percent contained.

Smoke from the Little Bear Fire in New Mexico as viewed from the Ski Apache area on June 8. PHOTO COURTESY ERICA ENJADY/INCIWEB.

This season’s largest wildfire to-date is the 280,000-acre Whitewater-Baldy Fire complex in New Mexico. The fire, now 51 percent contained, has burned for nearly a month after being sparked by lightning May 16.

A Sky Crane 782 drops flame retardant at the Whitewater-Baldy Fire complex. PHOTO COURTESY KARI GREE/INCIWEB. Click to view the photo gallery.

In Southern Colorado, the Little Sand Fire continues to burn in rugged terrain near Pagosa Springs and is reported as 30 percent contained, at about 8,900 acres.

Firefighters extinguish a small hotspot at the Little Sand Fire in southwestern Colorado. PHOTO COURTESY INCIWEB. Click on the image to see the Little Sand Fire photo gallery.

Filed under: climate and weather, Environment, forest fires Tagged: | Arizona wildfires, Colorado wildfires, High Park Fire, Little Bear Fire, New Mexico wildfires, western wildfires, Whitewater Baldy fire, Wildfires