CUBA FIRE

04/03/2026

03/27/2026

Protecting your home and property from fire events is on you, Friends! Our small rural volunteer department does the best it can, but we can't save everyone everywhere. Take a good look around your place and see if there is anything more you can do to create defensible space by removing fuels and flammable materials next to high value assets. We can come out and help you assess, just let us know!

03/27/2026

Please read this closely...

Did you know? Agricultural and debris burning are the #1 human-caused fire start in the Southwest.

Burning fields is a cultural and traditional practice in New Mexico, and it has benefits when done safely and correctly. But our emphasis is on the safe and correct part.

Remember:
• Check for any local fire restrictions
• Check the weather: don’t burn on hot, dry or windy days
• Afternoons are high risk! Most wildfires start between 2-5 p.m. when conditions are hot and dry. Be cautious when burning in the afternoon.



📸: Staci Matlock/NMFWRI.

03/25/2026

Packing a go-bag is one of the first steps of season. Learn more about what it is and how to pack it. If you have one packed already – great! It’s time to dust it off and make sure it has all the correct six Ps: prescriptions, pet and people needs, papers, photographs, personal computers, and plastic (credit cards).

03/24/2026

NACIMIENTO WILDFIRE FINAL UPDATE
Wildfire is now 100% contained
This will be the final update provided for the Nacimiento Wildfire

Location: The wildfire is in the Cuba Ranger District, south of New Mexico State Road 126 and the Nacimiento Mine
Start Date: March 22, 2026
Size: 18 acres
Containment: 100 %
Cause: Under investigation
Vegetation: Burning in oak, ponderosa pine, pinyon-juniper, and Douglas fir.
Resources: 60 personnel

Highlights: Fire crews remain actively engaged using a direct extinguishment strategy on the 18-acre wildfire. On Sunday, firefighters, supported by large airtankers dropping retardant, were able to stop the fire’s forward progress. Handlines, along with Forest Service Roads 533L and 533LD, served as key containment features, and all containment lines held the last two nights.
Resources remain on scene today conducting mop up operations. This means crews are extinguishing or removing burning material along the east and west flanks near the containment lines. Firefighters are also reinforcing roads and constructed handline along the northern perimeter, tying these sections into existing Forest Service roads to further strengthen containment.

Smoke: Smoke may be visible from Cuba, N.M. and surrounding communities, and NM State Road 126.

For more information visit the SFNF website, https://www.fs.usda.gov/r03/santafe/newsroom/releases/nacimiento-wildfire-final-update

03/23/2026

Watch this page for updates about the …

http://inciweb.wildfire.gov/incident-information/nmsnf-nacimiento-wildfire

03/22/2026

The 17-acre wildfire is located in the Cuba Ranger District Santa Fe National Forest (SFNF) fire managers were notified of a new wildfire start, named the Nacimiento Wildfire, on Sunday morning, Ma…

03/21/2026

RELEASE: State urges residents to protect homes amid elevated wildfire risk

With New Mexico entering what state officials are calling an exceptionally dry fire season, the state Forestry Division is urging homeowners to take steps to protect their properties and their insurance coverage before fire season peaks this summer.

An historically low winter snowpack is creating dangerous conditions across the state, with dry grass fuels building in the eastern plains and heavy tree fuels accumulating in forested areas.

New Mexico offers homeowners access to the Wildfire Prepared Homes program, run by the Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS). This certification may help homeowners maintain coverage as insurers increasingly decline to cover homes in high-risk areas. Applications and a full checklist of required standards are available through www.wildfireprepared.org

Homeowners receiving insurance through the New Mexico F.A.I.R Plan may be eligible for grants to offset retrofit costs; visit the New Mexico Office of the Superintendent of Insurance’s website for additional information.

Steps you can take to "harden" your home:

- Clear out the first 5 feet from the walls of your home.
- Clear all dead vegetation, including plants, grass, weeds and pine needles. Maintain spacing between plants and trees.
- Move flammable items at least 5 feet away from your home, including wood piles, trash cans, deck chair cushions and anything stored under your deck. Maintain space between those items.
- Replace combustible mulch with gravel or non-combustible material.
- Prune back large shrubs and trim overhanging branches.

"Wildfire doesn't care if it burns in an urban or rural community," said State Forester Laura McCarthy. "Our firefighters will continue to respond to wildfires as they ignite, and we need landowners to play their part. Home hardening and defensible space are some of the most impactful—and easiest—steps people can take to stop the spread of catastrophic wildfire."

Full release at www.emnrd.nm.gov/sfd/forestry-news

📸: Josh Schlossberg/Boulder Weekly.