As of noon yesterday the Cajete fire had burned 1,325 acres since it was first noticed Thursday morning — about two days earlier. It would be a lot worse if there were strong winds. The Las Conchas fire, the one that burned our place six years ago, consumed 43,000 acres in the first 14 hours (an acre every 1.17 seconds). By the second day it had burned about 61,000 acres, and it continued to grow to 156,593 acres (244 square miles) before it was contained about five weeks later.
What a difference wind and extra-dry fuel make.
June 18, 2017
I take it then that the fire is still raging!
Actually it hasn’t done that much in the past 24 hours as far as we can tell. We couldn’t see any smoke from town last night, and this morning I read it has been 65% contained.
Thanks for keeping us up to date. I’m guessing the fire is still not contained. It seems you and your property are not in danger—certainly hope not!
We’ve never worried much about our property from this one, and the last I read it’s been 65% contained. Thanks for the good wishes.
I assume that much of the fuel overburden having burned previously is also making a difference?
The fire was raging in the areas that hadn’t burned before, and it slows down when it reaches the areas that have. That’s why, plus the lack of wind and the fact that the vegetation wasn’t completely dried out, we weren’t worried about our land and Andy, Beate and Tim being up there. They didn’t take their Sunday walk just to be sure things didn’t suddenly change.
hoping for RAIN!!! and NO LIGHTENING!!!
We’re always hoping for rain. 😀 We usually have a few weeks of hot weather late in June — when we’re lucky the air rises and sucks in moisture from the Gulf of Mexico bringing our “monsoons”. They haven’t been as reliable in the past few years but we’re keeping our fingers crossed.