McCauley Springs Fire prompts Santa Fe National Forest closure near Jemez Springs
A closure through Aug. 11 kept Battleship Rock, Jemez Falls Campground and Jemez Falls Trailhead off-limits as the McCauley Springs Fire hit 712 acres.
Battleship Rock, Jemez Falls Campground and Group Area, and the Jemez Falls Trailhead were among the places caught in a temporary closure order through Aug. 11 in portions of the Jemez Ranger District as the McCauley Springs Fire changed access around Jemez Springs. Highway 4 in the Jemez Mountains closed during the response before later reopening.
The McCauley Springs Fire started June 24 in the Jemez Ranger District near McCauley Springs. It was about 30 acres with evacuation orders in place, then grew to 712 acres. Santa Fe National Forest issued Temporary Area Closure Order 03-10-03-26-07 for portions of the district to protect public health and safety during firefighting operations.
The incident escalated quickly enough that Southwest Complex Incident Management Team 3 took command on June 26, then prepared to hand command back to the Santa Fe National Forest Jemez Ranger District on July 4. It was 43% contained on July 1 and 77% contained on July 4 before it reached 100% containment on July 15.
For anyone planning a Jemez trip, the practical move was to verify the current closure map and the exact order language before leaving town. Plans built around the Jemez Falls Trailhead, Battleship Rock, campground nights, scenic drives, or hot springs access could be cut short without much notice when fire behavior, evacuation needs, or road status changed.
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