UPDATE 2: Gila Fire 63% Contained

Fire Facts:

Date Started: 05/16/2012

Number of Personnel: 359 including

Cause: Lightning

3 hand crews and 3 camp crews

Size:  290,515 acres (454 square miles)

Equipment: 9 engines, 17 Water Tenders, 2 Dozers

Percent Contained: 63

Aircraft: 5 Helicopters

Yesterday afternoon, there was a large column of smoke coming from the southeast corner of the fire near Turkey Creek. The fire burned a portion of Watson Mountain west of Juniper Spring. Fire officials report that there are no concerns with the fire crossing the containment perimeter.

Tree fallers were able to remove the fourteen hazardous trees near the Indian Creek summer homes. In the northern portion of the fire, the majority of the chipping was completed.

Aircraft will continue to patrol the fire area today. Firefighters are ready to insert portable pumps and hose-lays to hold the fire along Turkey Creek and the Gila River. Helicopters with buckets are ready to assist the firefighters. Hand crews will be chipping along Road 141 between Hulse Ranch and Beaverhead Work Center.

There will be a community meeting Monday, June 18 at 6 p.m. in the Glenwood Park. Fire managers will present a summery of suppression progress and Burned Area Emergency Response (BAER) assessments followed by reports by Catron County officials on emergency preparedness.

For additional information regarding the post fire-flood assessment go to the Whitewater-
Baldy Complex BAER page at http://www.inciweb.org/incident/2900/.

KNOW BEFORE YOU GO: If you are planning to visit the Forest, Stage 1 Fire Restrictions are in effect. Additional closures are still are in effect in several areas; please go to the Gila National Forest website atwww.fs.usda.gov/gila for current information or contact the Forest directly at575-388-8201.