Last Chance Fire. 4-24-2011.

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Smoke From The Last Chance Fire Drifts Over Carlsbad, NM

This Afternoon. The Fire Is Burning Near Sitting Bull Falls, Or

Roughly 26 Nautical Miles WSW Of Town.

Last Chance Fire Seen From The Junction Of State Hwy 137

& Dark Canyon Road.The Fire Is Burning Near Sitting Bull Falls, Or

Roughly 26 Nautical Miles WSW Of Carlsbad, NM. As of 6:00 PM MDT

It Had Burned 2400 Acres And Continues To Spread In The 40+ MPH
Southwesterly Wind Gusts. Visit This Link For The Latest Info-
New Mexico Fire Information.

9 PM MDT Update-

 A public meeting is being held at the Queen, NM fire department at 9 pm this evening.

Start Date & Time: 4/24/2011 0900

Start Location: Approximately 5 miles west of Queen (NW of Carlsbad in the Guadalupe Mountains)

Cause of Fire: Under investigation

Area Vegetation: Grass/PJ/Brush

Acres Burned: Estimated at 10,000 acres, the fire has moved off of Forest and now burning on BLM, State and Private

Ownership(s): USFS, BLM, Private and State (fire has moved into easier terrain with better engine access)

Structures Threatened: Yes. Some potential threat exists for oil and gas infrastructure depending on rate and direction of fire spread. Some private land and public recreation areas could be threatened as well.

Structures Burned: N/A

Evacuations (Y or N & #): 3 homes evacuated as a precaution.

Situation: The fire began burning actively in steep, rocky, inaccessible terrain on the Lincoln National Forest in the Guadalupe Mountains. Through the afternoon, the fire spread to a mixture of private, state and BLM owned land. Two heavy air tankers were used to drop retardant this afternoon. The fire is burning towards Highway 137 and 409. Future threats include- Oil and gas infrastructure, the Sitting Bull radio repeater and Sitting Bull recreation area and the H bar Y ranch.

Dark Canyon is closed at Hidalgo rd. and Hwy 137 is closed at Marathon Rd.

Smoke is impacting the City of Carlsbad.

% Contained: 0%

Condition of Fire: Running, predicted winds 40 MPH tonight with low RH recovery and Red Flag for 4/25

# of Engines: Approximately 25 (strike team of engines with strike team leader on order)

# of hand crews: 5, 3 Type I crews and 2 Type II

# of helicopters: 1-Heli-tanker and Type 3

# of air tankers: 2

# of water tenders: 3

Total # of Personnel: Approx. 110

The Truth Is Stranger Than Fiction!