NMCIF Ox Fire

Last updated:

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The type of incident is Wildfire and involves the following unit(s) Cibola National Forest.

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State: New Mexico

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Coordinates:

Latitude: 34° 36 192 Longitude: -106° 24 957

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NOTE: All fire perimeters and points are approximations.

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Incident Overview: Mountainair Ranger District Fire UpdatesFirefighters Respond to Ox Fire & Rona FireMarch 19, 2025 UPDATEName: Ox FireReported start date / time:    March 18, 2025 / 1600              Cause: Undetermined.Size: 4.3 acres           Containment: 30%Location: Manzano Mountains south of Ox Canyon on the Mountainair Ranger District – New Mexico – Cibola National Forest & National Grasslands. Approximately 5 miles southwest of the town of Manzano.  Resources on scene:  2 USFS Engines, 1 BLM Rio Puerco Module, Mt. Taylor Short Module and FWS Engine. Fire Behavior: The Ox Fire is exhibiting moderate fire behavior within the fire’s perimeter interior.Strategy: Full suppression. Evacuations: No evacuations are currently in place.   Values at risk: No values currently threatened.Fuels: Timber. Heavy dead and down.Situation: Firefighters continued with suppression activities today to secure the Ox Fire. Interior fuels continue to burn with yesterday’s footprint within the old Ojo Peak Fire scar. Forecasted wind events will continue to challenge firefighters over the next few days. The health and safety of firefighters and the public are always the first priority. Members of the public should avoid the Ox Fire area. Smoke: Light smoke may be visible in the surrounding areas including anything on East side of Manzano Mountains. Smoke-sensitive individuals and people with respiratory problems or heart disease are encouraged to take precautionary measures. An interactive smoke map at https://fire.airnow.gov/ allows you to zoom into your area to see the latest smoke conditions. Name: Rona Fire Firefighters responded yesterday afternoon during the high wind event to a fire off Highway 42 just north of Corona. The .5-acre Rona Fire was quickly contained with the help of Corona Fire Department, Torrance County and USFS personnel. Drones pose a serious risk to firefighting and can cause air operations to cease. The public is reminded that “If you fly, we can’t!” Weather: Today (3/19/25): Sunny, with a high near 47. Northwest wind around 20 mph, with gusts as high as 30 mph. Tonight: Mostly clear, with a low around 18. Northwest wind 15 to 20 mph decreasing to 5 to 10 mph after midnight. https://www.weather.gov/   Additional updates will be sent as new information is received.