Pelada Fire burns near Canada de Los Alamos, smoke visible from I-25

Smoke from the Pelada Fire was the immediate concern for people between Santa Fe and Los Alamos County: the 4- to 5-acre blaze was burning about three miles north of Canada de Los Alamos, off Forest Road 79 on the Pecos-Las Vegas Ranger District, and smoke was expected to be visible from the Santa Fe foothills, Canada de Los Alamos and I-25 near Arroyo Hondo. No evacuations were reported in the initial update, but the fire’s location put a quick response in place as crews worked through the evening to keep it from spreading.

Firefighters first detected the blaze Tuesday evening, June 16, at about 6:10 p.m. Crews reported the fire creeping through fuels with 2- to 4-foot flame lengths, a sign that even a relatively small ignition could still demand active suppression in dry conditions. Four fire engines and one helicopter with crew were assigned at the start, and officials said the work would continue through the evening as the incident developed.

The fire’s position also put it near a familiar corridor for northern New Mexico travelers and hikers. The initial report placed it about six miles southeast of Santa Fe on Forest Road 79, near the Apache Canyon Loop Trailhead, in an area where smoke can move quickly across ridgelines and into view from the highway. That matters for anyone commuting on I-25 or traveling through the foothills, where visibility can change with wind and the direction of the plume.

Wildfire-tracking maps listed the cause as undetermined in the first report, and the US Forest Service said its Public Wildland Fire Information pages are the official place to check for current national fire activity. The agency had already raised its national preparedness level to PL 2 on March 20, a reminder that the season was already moving into a higher-alert posture before the Pelada Fire ignition. For residents, the next 24 hours will hinge on whether the fire stays near its initial footprint or pushes farther into the dry fuels that fed the first flames.