McCauley Springs Fire prompts evacuations, closes Highway 4 in Jemez area
Sierra de los Pinos and Vallecitos were under Go orders as the McCauley Springs Fire grew to about 30 acres near Battleship Rock and closed Highway 4.
Sandoval County placed Sierra de los Pinos and Vallecitos under Go evacuation orders Wednesday morning after the McCauley Springs Fire sparked near Battleship Rock on the Jemez Ranger District and grew to about 30 acres. Highway 4 was impacted, smoke spread across Jemez Springs and into Albuquerque, and county officials warned residents not to call 911 unless there was a life safety concern.
Evacuees were directed to La Cueva Mt. Baptist Church and the Jemez Springs Senior Center. Sandoval County also had issued a wildfire readiness alert earlier in the morning for Jemez Springs Campground and Sierra Los Pinos, telling residents to prepare to leave as conditions changed.
The fire response included Sandoval County Fire Rescue and U.S. Forest Service crews, along with the Santa Fe Interagency Hotshot Crew, two additional hotshot crews, two Type 1 helicopters and an Air Tactical Group Supervisor. Jemez Falls Campground was evacuated and closed, Battleship Campground was closed, and Trail #137 to Battleship Rock was shut down for public safety. The fire was being fully suppressed.
The Northern New Mexico Type 3 Team, which had been assigned to the Rio Fire in the Española Ranger District, will transition and take command of the McCauley Springs Fire shortly. The U.S. Forest Service raised the national wildland fire preparedness level to 3 on Friday, June 19.
Sierra de los Pinos and Vallecitos faced major evacuations during the Cerro Pelado Fire in 2022. That fire began on April 22, 2022, on the Jemez Ranger District and eventually burned 45,605 acres in Sandoval County. Sierra Los Pinos again used the same sheltering pattern during that fire, including Jemez Mountain Baptist Church.
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