Map, and real-time camera images of Track fire at Raton Pass, NM

Raton Pass camera 1221 7-13-2011

Update at 4:45 p.m. MT, June 14, 2011: We posted more current information HERE.

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Update at 4:00 p.m. MT, June 13, 2011: added a map of the Track fire.

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Update at 2:54 p.m. MT, June 13, 2011: added info about the DC-10.

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Update at 2:46 p.m. MT, June 13, 2011: added information about the weather forecast for the Raton area.

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Update at 1:32 p.m. MT, June 13, 2011: added new information about the fire from New Mexico Fire Information.

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Raton Pass camera 1221 7-13-2011
The Track fire in Raton Pass, NM, as seen by the NM Dept. of Transportation traffic camera at 12:21 p.m. MT, June 12, 2011

A New Mexico Department of Transportation traffic camera has images that are refreshed several times a minute of the Track fire near Raton pass in northeast New Mexico

You can see it at the NM DOT site. Click on “Cameras and Message Signs”, then click the box next to “Statewide Cameras”. Then click the camera icon that appears in the upper-right of the map by Raton.

Here is a link to another web cam. Click “Time-Lapse”.

Dan Ware, Info officer for the NM State Forestry, tweeted at about 2:35 p.m. that the estimated size of the fire was 6,000 acres and that the DC-10 air tanker was being used on the fire.

The weather forecast for Raton could contribute to the fire getting quite a bit larger. It’s calling for winds Monday afternoon of 22 mph gusting to 32 mph, 90 degrees, and single-digit humidities.

Track fire map data 1445 6-13-2011
Map of the Track fire, showing heat (the red squares) detected by satellites over the last 6 hours with heat data current as of 2:45 p.m. MT, June 13. MODIS/Google

More information about the fire from New Mexico Fire Information, at 1:30 p.m. June 13, 2011:

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Incident Name: Track

Start Date & Time: 6/12/2011 11:48

Start Location: West of Interstate 25 in Raton Pass – 36 55 12.6 104 27 20.29

Cause of Fire: unknown

Area Vegetation: pp/pj/oak brush

Acres Burned: 2,700 acres (estimated)

Ownership(s): private

Structures Threatened: yes

Structures Burned: none confirmed

Evacuations (Y or N & #): yes, current evacuation for homes and businesses on the north side of Raton, north of I-25, and north of County Road 72, Sugarite State Park

Situation: Fire activity has increased substantially since early this morning. Air tankers are being used in the areas west of Raton with good results, but there is still a lot of smoke visible as the fire burns through thick vegetation. Priority areas for protection continue to be the Raton watershed and residential areas.

I-25 remains closed between Raton and Trinidad, CO, indefinitely, as there is active, uncontained fire on either side of the interstate. State Police are diverting traffic east on Highway 64 to Capulin, north through Folsom into Colorado and then west on Highway 160 north of Branson, CO.

Power was out to Raton late this morning, as crews transferred power transmission from a threatened power line to another Tri-State line not threatened by the fire. Power should be restored shortly.

Approximately 200 structures, both residential and commercial, continue to be threatened at this time.

The fire started on the west side of Interstate 25 yesterday afternoon and jumped to the east side earlier making a run toward Barlett Mesa and toward Colorado.

A Type 2 incident management team will take over command of the fire this afternoon.

 

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Author: Bill Gabbert

After working full time in wildland fire for 33 years, he continues to learn, and strives to be a Student of Fire.

11 thoughts on “Map, and real-time camera images of Track fire at Raton Pass, NM”

  1. I wish you were right, but this thing has DOUBLED in size since this morning (now OVER 6000 acres) and has crossed into Colorado heading east of Trinidad.

    My Mother has already lost her 300 acre Ranch and home from this, do not underestimate it.

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    1. Sorry to hear about your moms place. I’m not to familar with that area I’ve been through Sugaree State Park and up to Lake Dorothy I was wonder if that was that area. Does anyone know what started the fire? I wish your mom the best!

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    1. Have you seen the fire map above? At 6000 acres, it’s not going to be all that easy to take care of. I really think that cam is misleading. There’s a cam south of Trinidad on the cotrip.org site that shows a thin layer of smoke when you click below the image and get the south-facing cam. That’s north of the pass itself, so there’s some pretty good fire going.

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  2. From the smoke plume (and the more updated one I accessed) it looks like there’s quite a breeze blowing. Here’s hoping those wonderful people who dedicate their lives to saving property and other lives can get this before it goes much further (I live up the pike in Colorado on the Front Range).

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    1. Kayley, you’re right about the breeze. I just added weather forecast information to the article. Winds will gust up to 32 mph Monday afternoon.

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