SANTA FE NATIONAL FOREST NEWS RELEASE
Start Date: August 4, 2026 Cause: Lightning
Size: 7,794 acres Containment: 0%
Fuels: Ponderosa Timber, dead & down.
Strategy: Full suppression
Location: Steep terrain 5 miles west of Sierra Mosca, 2 miles southeast of Cundiyo, NM. The fire is in the Espanola Ranger District within the boundaries of the Pecos Wilderness Area.
Total personnel: 182
Operations: Overnight firefighters aided by a Santa Fe County structure protection task force patrolled the fire and continued structure assessment and preparation. Thursday, firefighters will continue constructing bulldozer line west of the fire. East of Cundiyo and the Gorham Boy Scout Ranch, multiple sprinkler systems have been installed and water supplies secured.
Crews continue improving structure protection and preparation in Cañon Chimayo, Cerro Pinon and at Gorham Boy Scout Ranch, including devising structure protection plans, establishing water supply and sprinkler systems, and removing fuels around properties by hand and with heavy equipment. Along FR 424 (Forest Road) hot shots are preparing the road to use as a containment line, tying into previous fuels reduction and prescribed fire projects where there is less fuel. On the north side of the fire along FR 306 a masticator, firefighters, and bulldozer continue improving the road to use as a containment line. Fire crews are working to minimize adverse fire impacts to federal and private lands, including watersheds, natural and cultural resources, range, and agricultural infrastructure while preserving landscape characteristics in the Pecos Wilderness.
Fire behavior moderated yesterday on much of the fire; however more active behavior was seen on the northern side of the fire
The Incident Management Team is working in close coordination with Santa Fe County and Rio Arriba County, surrounding communities, and Tribes. Additional resources have been ordered and will arrive throughout the day.
Today at 2:00 p.m. California Complex Incident Management Team 8 will in brief and spend the day building their situational awareness by talking and strategizing with fire personnel who have been suppressing the fire since it was detected on August 4. They will take command of the Frijoles Fire tomorrow at 6:00 a.m.
Safety: There is a Temporary Flight Restriction (TFR) over the fire area. On Tuesday, a drone incursion into the TFR 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 is drifting and settling along I-25, observable from Santa Fe all the way to Las Vegas, N.M.. Smoke is impacting areas such as Eldorado, Glorieta, Pecos, and Mora, Los Alamos, along with other nearby communities. For air quality information visit AirNow Fire and Smoke Map.
Weather for the Region (August 12, 2026): Hot temperatures are expected to persist with the likelihood of precipitation and amount of rain increasing as the weekend approaches. High temperatures will range from the upper 70s to mid-80s, with minimum relative humidity between 23-26 percent and overnight recoveries of 45-50 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 and Rio Arriba County issued evacuation status updates. Santa Fe County issued a “Go Status” update – Immediate Evacuation of individuals on Camino de Canon in Cundiyo. 9The rest of Cundiyo and Cerro Piñon have been placed on “Set Status”. Rio Arriba County issued a “Ready Status” update for the community of Cordova.
Changes to evacuation status can be found on the Rio Arriba County and Santa Fe County Fire Web page: https://www.santafecountynm.
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.
The Santa Fe National Forest issued a Temporary Road Closure Order affecting FR (Forest Road) 306, from the intersection of FR 440 and Forest Road 306, West to the Forest Boundary and FR 306.
No closure order exists for the Pecos Wilderness, but with fire suppression happening in the Wilderness within the Española Ranger District, the public should avoid this area.
Fire Information: (505) 407-5343 / 2026.frijoles@firenet.gov/fs.
Inciweb:https://inciweb.
About the Forest Service: The Forest Service has brought people and communities together to answer the call of conservation for more than 100 years. Grounded in world-class science and technology — and rooted in communities — the Forest Service connects people to nature and recreation opportunities. The agency manages 193 million acres of public land, supports the nation’s forest industry and energy needs, and operates the largest and most respected wildland fire and forestry research organizations in the world. By providing assistance to state and private landowners and working with tribes and other partners, the Forest Service also helps steward an additional 900 million forested acres within the U.S.
