Smoke visible from a wildfire near Española had people as far away as the 4-H Rio Arriba County Fair in Abiquiú wondering what was burning.
It was a section of Santa Fe National Forest, near Clara Peak, about 20 miles down 31 Mile Road, that was on fire. A lightning strike caused the fire, which started July 29.
The blaze grew over the week from nine acres to more than 300, but besides its visibility the National Forest Service said it was pretty well handled by natural fire breaks and other features of the area.
“There are no structures immediately threatened,” Service spokesman Lawrence Lujan said. “We’re not actively suppressing it.”
Lawrence Garcia, the Española Ranger District’s fire management officer, said nearly 40 firefighters came to monitor the fire, along with two fire engines. He said boundaries for the fire were determined, including breaks such as Forest Roads 144 and 145, Clara Peak and the Rio del Oso.
He said if the fire got within a mile of any of the predetermined boundaries, firefighters would take action. In one instance, when the fire got within a mile of Forest Road 145, firefighters worked to remove fuel from the area and slow it down.
At this point, Garcia said the fire has died down substantially. He said Monday there are no restrictions on accessing the Forest.
“You have small pockets of smoke from fire that is creeping in or around pine stringers,” he said.
“Pine stringers” he described as sections of Ponderosa pine trees surrounded by dry, fallen needles that easily catch fire.
“That’s the only thing that’s keeping that thing alive,” he said.
He said the time of year makes fires easier to contain. With more humidity, shorter days, cooler temperatures and more chance of rain, nature works in the firefighters’ favor.
Garcia said Monday the team would soon be demobilized, though an engine with three Española firefighters will make daily trips to the site until it rains or the smoke is no longer visible.
“We’ll keep the fire under a monitoring status,” he said. “I would say, with the present and forecasted weather, it doesn’t have a chance.”