Acres: 17,250                                 Start Date: 06/25/2025

Location: Gallina, NM                    Cause: Lightning

Personnel: 257                               Fuels: Oak brush, Piñon-juniper, and mixed conifer

Containment: 57%

Resources: 1 crew | 7 engines | 4 helicopters | 2 unmanned aircraft system | 2 water tenders | 2 dozer | 3 ambulance

Highlights: Firefighters made steady progress yesterday, focusing on strengthening containment lines along the northern perimeter and continuing aerial ignitions. The fire remained within its established perimeter, with smoke visible only from burning in interior pockets. A Burned Area Emergency Response (BAER) team will begin arriving to assess post-fire risks such as flooding and erosion, ensuring steps can be taken to protect nearby communities and resources.

Fire Activity: Firefighters continued making progress yesterday as they worked to increase containment on the Laguna Fire. Crews on the northern end of the fire focused on improving and repairing dozer lines and conducting chipping operations to reinforce containment efforts. Aerial ignition operations were successfully completed in a planned area between contingency lines and the Rio Gallina. These ignitions are used to safely burn unburned fuels within the interior of the fire, helping to secure the control lines and reduce the chance of the fire reigniting or spreading unexpectedly.

The fire stayed well within its established perimeter throughout the day, and any visible smoke was coming from interior pockets that continue to burn at low intensity. Helicopters using water buckets supported operations near Gallina Ranch and along established contingency wet lines in the La Presa drainage, helping to cool hot spots and add moisture along key containment areas.

Today, road repair work will take place on Forest Service Road 8. Dozer line repair will also continue north of the French Mesa area, and more aerial bucket work is planned near Gallina Ranch if needed. In addition to suppression work, a Burned Area Emergency Response (BAER) team will begin work. BAER teams are made up of specialists who assess the impacts of the fire on the landscape. After a wildfire, the burned ground can’t absorb water as well, increasing the risk of flooding, erosion, and damage to roads, trails, or drinking water sources. The BAER team quickly evaluates these risks and recommends short-term emergency actions to help protect communities and natural resources from further harm.

Weather and Smoke: A warming and drying trend is expected to arrive with low relative humidity and temperatures rising. Winds will remain relatively light, helping to temper critical fire weather conditions. Isolated thunderstorms with gusty winds may still be possible. As temperatures increase and fuels become drier, fire activity may increase in areas of unburned fuels, contributing to additional smoke production. Please use caution when driving in the area. For the most up-to-date smoke information, visit https://outlooks.wildlandfiresmoke.net/outlook/a60ea7fd?

Closures and Flight Restrictions: A closure order is in place for USFS lands in the area. To view the complete order, visit https://www.fs.usda.gov/r03/santafe/alerts/laguna-wildfire-closure-order. A Temporary Flight Restriction (TFR) is also in place for the area. For current TFR maps, visit https://tfr.faa.gov/tfr3/?page=list

Evacuations: Gallina Ranch remains in GO evacuation status, but the Monastery of Christ in the Desert has been reduced to READY status. For complete information on evacuations in New Mexico, visit https://www.emnrd.nm.gov/sfd/fire-preventionprograms/ready-set-go-new-mexico/

Laguna Fire Incident Phone Number: 575-323-8964 (8 a.m. to 8 p.m.)

Inciweb: https://inciweb.wildfire.gov/incident-information/nmsnf-laguna-wildfire

Email: 2025.laguna@firenet.go