Luna Fire dampened by snow, but not extinguished
Residents can ‘breathe a little easier’
The Luna Fire got some relief over the past few days as a cold front and several inches of snow entered the area.
As of Wednesday (Oct. 28), the fire had burned a total of 10,142 acres, and was 35 percent contained. Many locals fire crews headed home while the snow blew through.
Though the snowfall dampened the fire, it did not put it out completely, according to inciweb. nwcg.org, a multiagency fire information center. The center said that timber in the area “will react very slowly to precipitation. Although precipitation is in the forecast, a long-term wetting rain will be required to mitigate the record fuel dryness and return the ERCs [energy release components – or how dry the fuels are on a long-term basis] back to normal levels.”
The fire – which has been ongoing since Saturday (Oct. 17) – threatened nearby homes getting within 2 miles of Chacon and closer than that to properties in Luna Canyon. The fire required the resources of over 20 state, local and national organizations.
Luna Canyon property owner Andrew Sandoval, who chose to stay and protect his property from the fire, said that since the snow, he can “breathe a little easier.” While he was happy to see the snow, he pointed out that the 7 inches of snow gathered from his property only yielded 0.57 inches of liquid, which he said is “not a lot of moisture in the snow.”
Maryanna Clemens, public information officer with the Carson National Forest, also said it was too soon to know what the fire would do next. “Right now it’s a time of waiting to see what’s going to transpire,” she said. The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
On Tuesday morning (Oct. 27), many fire crews got a much needed break after the burn area received an average of 4.5 inches of snow. Because of additional snow in the area, firefighters went back home with their families for three to five days – after which, Carson National Forest and New Mexico
State Forestry officials will release a plan to bring firefighters back, and assess the burn. As of Wednesday (Oct. 28), 97 personnel still remain on-site while the fire smolders under the snow.
The fire is not expected to get any larger, but the extremely dry condition of the trees under the snow is expected to linger after the
storm. Since the snowfall ended Tuesday, all state and county roads are open, and the voluntary Luna Canyon evacuation has been lifted. However, Stage 1 fire restrictions still remain in place.
So far, the estimated date to completely contain the fire is Nov. 10. Officials from the Carson National Forest and agencies
across the state will be monitoring the area to assess what efforts are needed when the snow melts. Luckily “it’s when the snow melts that we’ll get more moisture back into the wood,” said Clemens.
So far, the fire mitigation has cost a total of $4.6 million, according to data from the National Interagency Fire Center.