SOCORRO, New Mexico — A wildfire in the Water Canyon Mesa area of the Magdalena Mountains on Sunday has burned about 25 acres. Firefighters have yet to contain the fire, the U.S. Forest Service reported on its website.
The Wet Weather Fire blaze was reported at around 11:40 a.m. on February 1 within the Magdalena Ranger District of the Cibola National Forest and National Grasslands. Authorities are still investigating the cause of the fire.
Smoke from the fire may be visible west of New Mexico Highway 60, and from Interstate 25 west of Socorro, officials said. Federal and state crews from the U.S. Forest Service and New Mexico Forestry Division are on scene responding to the incident.
Meteorologist Grant Tosterud posted on social media about the blaze, saying, “No buildings or property are at risk.”
The wet weather conditions have helped slow the spread in some areas, but its behavior has been described as moderate. As of the latest update, the fire has remained uncontained.
The wildfire, officials said, is not currently threatening communities or values at risk. They urged the public to avoid the active fire area.
The Wet Weather Fire is the latest in a series of wildfires in the Magdalena Ranger District and the nearby Cibola National Forest region. A separate Water Canyon Wildfire burned about 71 acres after a lightning strike in nearly the same vicinity in July 2023.
The nearby Whiskey Hill Fire burned roughly 940 acres before containment efforts secured the area.
Another blaze in 2022, the Bear Trap Fire, burned several thousand acres in the San Mateo Mountains portion of the district. The incident prompted multi-agency firefighting efforts. It did not, however, threaten populated areas.
Previous blaze incidents, such as the North Fire in 2016, underscored the region’s vulnerability to wildfire during dry seasons.
Officials noted that many past fires posed minor threats to communities. But the incidents highlighted the importance of preparedness and forest management in the region.
