Battleship Rock as seen Thursday, June 25. Courtesy SFNF
SFNF NEWS RELEASE
Southwest Complex Incident Management Team 3 Takes Command of the McCauley Springs Fire
Daily Update: June 26, 2026
Acres: 708
Containment: 0%
Start Date: June 24, 2026
Location: Jemez Ranger District, east of Battleship Rock
Cause: Undetermined
Personnel: 171
Fuels: Timber, logging slash, and short grass
Highlights: Southwest Complex Incident Management Team 3 assumed command of the McCauley Springs Fire at 6:00 a.m. after a smooth transfer of information from the Northern New Mexico Type 3 IMT.
The Santa Fe National Forest went into Stage 2 Fire Restrictions at 8:00 a.m. today.
Operations: Since Wednesday, six Interagency Hotshot Crews (IHCs)—American River, Blue Ridge, Midewin, Sacramento, Santa Fe, and Wolf Creek—have arrived on the incident and are fully engaged in suppression operations. On Thursday, crews worked to secure the lines where strategic firing operations occurred on Wednesday night. The purpose of these operations was to reduce available fuels and limit the fire’s potential for continued spread, along Highway 4 from the Jemez Falls Trailhead north toward Redondo Campground. Crews were stationed overnight to patrol fire line and assess fire behavior. Current air support includes several helicopters assigned to the incident and additional fixed-wing aircraft are available if needed.
With good relative humidity throughout the day yesterday, fire behavior was more moderated. Four divisions have been established to break up the fire into sections for management purposes. Crews will continue to strengthen and improve existing control features, hardening defensible locations and reinforcing containment lines. Ten additional engines, five crews, and additional aircraft have been ordered. Protecting values at risk and strengthening existing dozer and handlines will be critical with more extreme fire weather forecast for the weekend.
Weather: A mix of sun and afternoon clouds is expected, becoming breezy as the day progresses with a chance of afternoon and evening thunderstorms. Afternoon temperatures are forecast to reach around 83–85°F, with west to southwest winds at 10–15 mph, occasionally gusting higher during thunderstorms.
Smoke: Smoke is visible from Albuquerque, U.S. 550, Jemez Springs, and surrounding communities and may impact areas of Highway 4. View an interactive smoke map at https://fire.airnow.gov/.Learn about smoke impacts at https://nmtracking.org/
Closures: Highway 4 remains closed between mile marker 27 and 40. The Santa Fe National Forest is preparing a closure order specifically for the McCauley Springs Fire area. Members of the public should avoid the McCauley Springs Fire area. Battleship Rock Campground, Jemez Falls Campground, Redondo Campground, and Trail #137 remain closed.
Evacuations: Coordinating with Sandoval County, evacuations are in place: Go status (evacuate) – Sierra de los Pinos, and Jemez Falls Campground. An evacuation center for residents is located at Jemez Mountain Baptist Church in La Cueva. Ready status – Los Alamos County
Safety: The primary objective for the McCauley Springs Fire is firefighter and public safety. A Temporary Flight Restriction (TFR) is in place to keep the area clear for responding aircraft. No drones or aircraft are allowed to fly in the area. Flying will force air resources to be grounded immediately. If you fly, they can’t.