Lightning strike ignites fire in Guadalupe Mountains National Park

A fire that began Saturday in west-central Texas on Saturday has been moving northeast toward the Texas and New Mexico border.

A spokesperson for the Guadalupe Mountains National Park said lightning sparked the fire near Coyote Peak.

The fire had damaged about 3,000 acres by Sunday.
High winds in the area are pushing the fire north and east across the park, and the forecast is causing for more windy weather for the next several days.

A lead plane, three heavy air tankers and a helicopter have been working to control the flames, but high winds forced them to land for the day on Sunday.

Tom Barta’s Pecos Zone Type 3 Incident Management Team and three of the nation’s elite Hotshot crews are assigned to the fire. They are trying to keep the fire from spreading north where they have set up a perimeter.

Park closures because of the fire include Dog Canyon, the Marcus Trail, the Blue Ridge Trail, and sections of the Bush Mountain and Tejas Trail. Closures will be in place until further notice.

Fire updates and trail statuses are posted on the park’s website at www.nps.gov/gumo/planyourvisit/conditions and on the park’s Facebook and Twitter pages.