Situation Report:: Wildfire on on BLM land off Highway 82

At 1:30 pm, High Rolls Fire assisted BLM and Forest Service, and other local units on a wildfire located across Dry Canyon near Mile Marker 3 on Highway 82. The fire was located about 1500' feet up the mountain, in a position unreachable by vehicles, so all firefighting was accomplished by hand crews. The fire (named the Dry Canyon Fire) was turned over to BLM at 5:00pm, and the Smokey Bear Hotshots performed final containment and mop-up. All High Rolls units were released around 7:00pm. High Rolls Fire, La Luz FD, and Alamo West fire departments performed initial attack with hand crews. The fire torched and made several runs, being driven by 20mph wind gusts. The cause of the fire was attributed to lightning.

Situation Report: Vehicle Accident on Highway 82 at Karr Canyon.

Around 9:30 pm, High Rolls Fire and EMS was dispatched for a vehicle accident at the intersection of Karr Canyon Road and Highway 82. No serious injuries were reported.

Situation Report: Injured Hiker in Apache Canyon

Hire Rolls Fire and EMS was dispatched to assist a hiker injured on the trail in Apache Canyon around 2:00pm. The responding crews had to hike in a short distance to locate and remove the injured party. High Rolls Fire was assisted by elements of Cloudcroft Fire and EMS, Otero County Sherrif, and Rangers from the Lincoln National Forest.

Situation Report: Chasing Smoke in the Lincoln National Forest

The last couple of days has been marked with a rise in the thunderstorm activity over the Sacramento Mountains. With this activity comes lightning. Coupled with the dry forest, it can be a recipe for a slowly simmering forest fire, waiting to burst into life when the right conditions present themselves. High Rolls Fire has responded to two incidents related to possible lightning strikes and smoke sightings within the National Forest areas.

The first occured in the afternoon hours on the 27th of May, and was initially dispatched as a possible structural fire in the boundaries of another adjoining fire district. The smoke proved difficult to located in the canyons of the Sacramentos, and in the end Cloudcroft, High Rolls, and James Canyon fire departments ended up being sent to search for the smoke. It was determined the source of the smoke was a lightning strike in the area of La Luz Canyon.

The second incident occured around midnight on May 28th. High Rolls Fire responded wildland apparatus to the area of Mile Marker 15 on Highway 82 for a report of smoke in Bailey Canyon from an unkown source. At first, a lightning strike was suspected, but it was later determined to be smoke caught in a weather inversion from a controlled burn. This burn was being conducted by Lincoln National Forest fire crews near NM Route 244.

Situation Report:: Lost Hiker in Fresnal Canyon

At 8:40 on May 7th, 2010, High Rolls Fire and EMS was dispatched to rescue a lost hiker located in Fresnal Canyon below the scenic overlook. The hiker was located and appeared uninjured. She was evaluated by EMS and all units later cleared the scene. The hiker stated they stayed in the canyon too long and darkness caused her party to lose their way and she ended up going back up a much rougher trail. It is good she was located early, as it could have made for a rough and dangerous night for the firefighters and the lost hiker.

Situation Report: Highway 82 Closed due to Snow.

High Rolls Fire was dispatched to close Highway 82 to Cloudcroft due to a late Winter snowstorm at 6:40 am. The Highway remained closed until the NM Highway Department snowplows could clear the road and travel was safe for motorists.

Situation Report: Car off cliff near Railroad Trestle on Hwy 82

At 7:40 AM, High Rolls Fire and EMS was dispatched for a motor vehicle accident rollover near the Railroad Trestle. Upon arrival, units found a vehicle which had left the roadway and fell a considerable distance down a cliff into Mexican Canyon near the Cloudcroft Sewage Treatment Plant. The driver sustained minor injuries and was transported via AMR ambulance to Gerald Champion Regional Medical Center. Traffic was tied up on Highway 82 for about an hour. Units from High Rolls, James Canyon, and Cloudcroft Fire Departments responded to this incident.