‘Treacherous’ terrain makes tough going for firefighters
Crews use hand tools in effort to contain blaze in remote area north of Sandia Crest towers
Much of Albuquerque saw smoke plumes billowing from atop the Sandias on Thursday as steep, rocky terrain hampered firefighters’ efforts to contain a wildfire that scorched up to 20 acres north of the towers.
The fire remained miles from homes and structures, officials said.
The cause of the fire had not been determined by Thursday afternoon. However, some lightning had been observed near the crest overnight, said Larry Gallegos, a spokesman for the Bernalillo County Fire Department, which contributed to the firefighting effort.
About 40 U.S. Forest Service firefighters used hand tools to build fire lines in a rugged area three-quarters of a mile north of the radio and TV towers on Sandia Crest, Gallegos said.
“It’s very steep, very treacherous,” he said of the ridge-top area where the North Crest Fire was reported about 7 a.m. Thursday. No roads or hiking trails provide access to the area. “The firefighters had to walk in about a mile on rough terrain. It’s just a very dangerous place to fight a fire.”
N.M. 536, the Sandia Crest Scenic Highway, was closed at the 10K Trailhead to all but emergency vehicles. And the Sandia Crest Trail was closed north of the Crest House.
Firefighters were employing a strategy that uses natural barriers such as rocky outcrops to build fire lines, and they made good progress on Thursday to begin containing the fire, U.S. Forest Service spokeswoman Donna Nemeth said.
“The fire is burning in a mixedconifer forest that has been impacted by an insect infestation,” Nemeth said in a written statement. “Numerous snags (dead trees still standing) and a high concentration of dead, woody debris on the ground pose a significant threat to crews.
“Smoke will be visible as the fire continues to grow and move toward the defined containment lines.”
Officials asked the public not to call 911 if they see any smoke in the area.
Two helicopters drew water from ponds at the Sandia Peak Ski Area to drop on the flames, Gallegos said. Bernalillo County firefighters cleared brush around the radio and TV towers, he said.
The blaze is about three-quarters of a mile north of the towers, which were not in immediate danger, he said.
“It is burning up toward the top of the crest, which is good,” because the rocky peaks don’t have as much fuel as the lower slopes, he said.
No evacuation orders had been issued by late Thursday, officials said. The nearest homes are several miles east of the site.
The Sandia Mountains experience occasional wildfires.
In May 2013, an abandoned campfire in a rugged area of the north Sandia Mountains ignited the Piedra Fire, which burned for a week and scorched about 50 acres.
In June 2016, the Pino Fire blackened less than an acre on the west side of the Sandia Mountains south of the tram.