Indios Fire near Coyote expands as forecasters predict dry, windy weekend

May 24 — A wildfire in Rio Arriba County continues to grow as New Mexico heads into a holiday weekend in which dry conditions and high winds will create an elevated fire risk throughout the state.

All of New Mexico is under red light for the weekend, meaning warm temperatures, very low humidities and stronger winds are expected to combine to produce an increased risk of fire danger.

The Indios Fire, burning about 7 miles north of the village of Coyote, had grown to 1,809 acres as of Friday evening and was still not contained. 133 firefighters were battling the blaze with five engines, two masticators, a helicopter, a grader and a water truck.

The lightning-ignited fire has been burning since Sunday and is located in “steep and almost inaccessible terrain,” U.S. Forest Service officials said in a news release Friday.

Temperatures in the area reached around 72 degrees Friday with low humidity and wind gusts up to 25 mph in the afternoon.

“Winds will be stronger on Saturday, creating critical fire weather conditions despite the slight increase in humidity,” forest officials said.

That will be true Saturday across New Mexico, especially in the southeastern part of the state, where the 1,500-acre Blue 2 fire near Ruidoso has already caused the evacuation of some rural homes.

On Saturday, there will be “critical to extreme fire danger, throughout the state of New Mexico,” said Randall Hergert, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Albuquerque, during a press briefing Friday after- noon.

Eastern New Mexico will be the windiest, with peak gusts Saturday of 45 mph in Las Vegas, 48 ​​mph in Raton and Clines Corners and 45 mph in Carlsbad, Tucumcari and Santa Rosa. The weather will be a little calmer in Santa Fe, with wind gusts not expected to exceed 37 mph.

In addition to wind and “extremely low humidity,” southeastern New Mexico and the Sacramento Mountains region could be affected by smoke from the Blue 2 Fire and dust that would limit visibility, a declared Hergert.

Northern New Mexico will likely be less affected by this situation, although forecasters said there is a possibility of isolated dust issues in the Santa Fe and Albuquerque areas.

By Friday, forestry officials had closed a large area around the Indios Fire, including the entire Chama River Canyon Wilderness Area south of the Rio Gallina and Rio Chama. The rest of the closed area begins at Continental Divide Trail #298 at NM 96, heading north across Forest Road 77, through the wilderness to Skull Bridge on Forest Road 151.

Camping and water will be available at the Coyote Ranger Station for Continental Divide Trail hikers affected by the closure.