Whitewater fire team issues last update

RESERVE, N.M. (KRQE) - The largest wildfire in New Mexico history is now quiet prompting the fire management team to end its daily updates of fire activity and firefighters' work.

The Whitewater-Baldy Complex Fire began with a lightning strike on May 16 in the northwestern corner of the Gila Wilderness east of Glenwood.

By Thursday it had charred 297,845 acres with fire lines in place on 87 percent of its perimeter.

"The Whitewater-Baldy fire perimeter remains quiet, with isolated areas of smoldering and burning pockets of fuel in the interior," a statement released late Thursday said. "Fire managers expect some interior smoldering and burning to continue until monsoon rains arrive."

With vegetation gone from mountainsides and a high threat for flooding, monitoring equipment is being installed as an early warning system for flash flooding on Whitewater and Mineral creeks and other streams.  In addition to stream gauges, rain gauges are being installed at Mogollon Baldy, Bear Wallow Lookout, Sheridan Corral and Hummingbird Saddle.

Meanwhile fire personnel are now focused on repair damage done by their suppression efforts and reseeding dozer lines and camp sites.