SFNF NEWS RELEASE
Cooler, wetter weather forecasted for this week will aid the firefighting effort but also may present new hazards in and around the Frijoles Fire burned area.
Burned landscapes are more vulnerable to flooding. Although the Frijoles Fire footprint is dominated by low soil burn severity (10% very low/unburned, 70% low, 15% moderate, 5% high), and many root systems and soil seed banks remain intact, tree cover loss is still significant. Approximately 5,877 acres experienced more than a 50% tree mortality as measured by loss of basal area. With fewer plants to intercept rainfall, soils can quickly become saturated which increases the risk of flash floods and debris flows. Intense rain, such as monsoon storms, may mobilize ash and charred woody material to produce dark gray flows of ash and sediment that may extend beyond forest boundaries.
Safety tips for recreating in or near burned areas:
- Stay alert to weather forecasts before heading outdoors. Current weather and emergency notifications can be found at the National Weather Service website: www.weather.gov/abq/.
- Avoid traveling in arroyos or stream beds if rain is likely or you see monsoon clouds building.
- If you get caught off guard, move quickly to higher ground and wait for the water to recede.
- Don’t enter floodwaters – they may be stronger than you think and the ground beneath could be unstable.
In addition to flood hazards, visitors may encounter falling or unstable trees, displaced wildlife, burned stump holes and root chambers, and unstable terrain.
The Santa Fe National Forest rescinded the public closure order for the Frijoles Fire burned area on September 12; however, there is still uncontained fire perimeter on the east side in the Pecos Wilderness and active fire suppression operations. On hot, dry days the fire is still actively burning in pockets of fuel and producing a significant smoke column.
The Frijoles Fire was ignited by lightning on August 4, 2026, and has been managed under a full suppression strategy. The western perimeter, including the area nearest to the community of Cundiyo, remains fully contained with little fire activity. Portions of the eastern perimeter in the Pecos Wilderness Area continue to burn in rugged terrain where safe access for firefighters is challenging.
Updated information about the Frijoles Fire operations, maps, and the soil burn severity map are provided at https://inciweb.wildfire.
About the Forest Service: The USDA Forest Service has for more than 100 years brought people and communities together to answer the call of conservation. Grounded in world-class science and technology– and rooted in communities–the Forest Service connects people to nature and to each other. The Forest Service cares for shared natural resources in ways that promote lasting economic, ecological, and social vitality. The agency manages 193 million acres of public land, provides assistance to state and private landowners, maintains the largest wildland fire and forestry research organizations in the world. The Forest Service also has either a direct or indirect role in stewardship of about 900 million forested acres within the U.S., of which over 130 million acres are urban forests where most Americans live.