Laguna Wildfire Daily Update July 7, 2025
Forest Service News Release
Laguna Wildfire Daily Update
Brandon Hess – Incident Commander
July 7, 2025
Acres: 6,244
Start Date: 6/25/2025
Completion: 48 %
Location: Located in the Coyote Ranger District, 8 miles north of New Mexico State Road 96 and west of the Chama River Canyon Wilderness.
Personnel: 120
Fuels: Oak brush, ponderosa pine, pinyon-juniper
Resources: 2 hotshot crews, 1 Type 2 Initial Attack crew, 2 suppression modules, 6 engines, 2 support water tenders, 1 tactical water tender
Highlights: Fire crews continued firing operations to create buffer zones along the northern boundary of the wildfire. They used both hand and aerial ignition to strengthen containment lines. To conduct a firing operation, firefighters cut away vegetation to make a line of bare soil ahead of a fire and then using aerial and hand ignitions burn the vegetation between that line and the actively burning fire front.
Weather: Light winds will continue through tomorrow night. Tomorrow, the chance of rain is lower due to drier air moving in from the northwest, but a gusty high-based shower cannot be ruled out in the afternoon near the wildfire. Both afternoon and overnight humidity recoveries will trend drier the next couple of days.
Smoke: On Sunday, storms helped clear smoke from the wildfire area, resulting in improved conditions Monday morning. More storms are expected on Monday, which will again assist in reducing smoke in the afternoon. Winds will continue to push the smoke east of the fire throughout the day, and the winds from the storms will help scatter the smoke, preventing air quality from reaching concerning levels at ground level, although there may still be some haziness. Overnight, smoke is likely to settle in low-lying areas below the fire, including the Rio Chama River Valley and communities along NM State Road 96, but it will not be at levels of concern. In the coming days, expect fewer storms, higher temperatures, and light winds, which could lead to smokier and hazier conditions as the smoke may not clear as effectively. If you are sensitive to smoke learn how to Protect Yourself from Smoke.
Safety: The health and safety of firefighters and the public are always the highest priority. Please avoid the area while crews manage the Laguna Wildfire. Drones and firefighting aircraft are a dangerous mix and could lead to accidents or slow down wildfire operations. If you fly, we can’t.   
Closures: : Closure Order 03-10-01-25-08 is in place and includes all National Forest System lands, roads, and trails within Township 24N Range 1E Sections 1,2,11,12,13,14,23,24,25,26 and Township 24N Range 2E Sections 4-9 and Sections14-32 and Township 25N Range 1E Sections 25,35,36 and Township 25N Range 2E Sections 30-32 of the New Mexico Principal Meridian within the Coyote Ranger District. The purpose of this Order is to protect the public’s health and safety during firefighting operations for the Laguna Wildfire. See attached map for the closure area.
More Information: 505-607-0879 | claudia.brookshire@usda.gov| x.com/SantafeNF | facebook.com/santafeNF | Inciweb-Laguna Wildfire | NM Fire Info
About the Forest Service: The USDA Forest Service has for more than 100 years brought people and communities together to answer the call of conservation. Grounded in world-class science and technology– and rooted in communities–the Forest Service connects people to nature and to each other. The Forest Service cares for shared natural resources in ways that promote lasting economic, ecological, and social vitality. The agency manages 193 million acres of public land, provides assistance to state and private landowners, maintains the largest wildland fire and forestry research organizations in the world. The Forest Service also has either a direct or indirect role in stewardship of about 900 million forested acres within the U.S., of which over 130 million acres are urban forests where most Americans live.
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