SFNF NEWS RELEASE
Start Date: August 4, 2026
Cause: Lightning
Size: 2,052 acres Containment: 0%
Fuels: Ponderosa Timber, dead & down. Strategy: Full suppression
Location: Steep terrain 5 miles west of Sierra Mosca, 3 miles southeast of Cundiyo, NM. The
fire is in the Espanola Ranger District within the boundaries of the Pecos Wilderness Area.
Total personnel: 86
Operations: Today on the western flank of the fire, construction of indirect containment lines north of Frijoles Canyon with bulldozer support will continue. Crews will look for opportunities to continue construction of indirect control lines along the ridge west of fire. On the south side of the fire crews will improve control line on the ridge above Frijoles Canyon as fire behavior allows. On the north and eastern sides of the fire crews will continue scouting locations for fire line construction. Large air tankers and three helicopters will be dropping retardant and water to slow the fire’s spread. The fire is expected to exhibit active behavior today. Crews will continue structure assessment and preparation in Cundiyo, Canyon Chimayo, Cerro Pinon and at Gorham Boy Scout Ranch.
The Incident Management Team is working in close coordination with Santa Fe County, surrounding communities, and Tribes. Additional resources have been ordered, including a
Complex Incident Management Team (CIMT).
Safety: Yesterday a drone incursion into the TFR (Temporary Flight Restriction) posed a threat to the safety of aviation resources and impeded suppression efforts. The health and safety of firefighters and the public are always the priority. Drones pose a serious risk to firefighting and can cause air operations to cease. The public is reminded that “If you fly, we can’t!” To facilitate safe and efficient suppression efforts the public is asked to avoid the fire area and the Santa Cruz Overlook Road and Campground.
Aviation operations in support of suppression efforts are occurring at Nambe Lake and Santa Cruz Lake. Please be aware of your surroundings while recreating in the area and keep a safe
distance from locations that aviation assets are operating in.
Smoke: Smoke will be visible from Santa Fe, Cundiyo, Nambe, Chimayo, Pojoaque, and
Espanola and settle in valleys in the evening. For air qualitY information visit AirNow Fire and Smoke Map.
Weather for the Region (August 9, 2026): Hot dry conditions will persist in the fire area through the weekend. High temperatures will range from the upper 70s to mid-80s, with minimum relative humidity between 20–35 percent and good overnight recoveries of 60–90 percent. Terrain-driven winds of 5–15 mph will become erratic and gusty near thunderstorms, with outflow winds potentially exceeding 35–45 mph. Lightning, brief heavy rainfall, localized flooding, and sudden wind shifts will be the primary weather concerns for fire operations.
Evacuations and Closures: Santa Fe County issued a “Ready Status” update for the
communities of Cundiyo and Cerro Piñon. Additionally, the county issued a road closure for NM 503 between County Road 98 and State Road 76. Visitors are encouraged to avoid the fire area and use caution when traveling near firefighting operations.
Changes to evacuation status can be found on the Santa Fe County Fire Web page:
https://www.santafecountynm.gov/fire
Fire Information: (505) 407-5343/2026.frijoles@firenet.gov/fs.usda.gov/r03/santafe
facebook.com/santafeNF/ x.com/SantafeNF/ nmfireinfo.com
Inciweb:https://inciweb.wildfire.gov/incident-information/nmsnf-frijoles-fire