Seven Cabins Fire linked to deadly plane crash stays under 32k acres, now at 90% contained
UPDATE (JUNE 7, 2026 - 10:39 a.m.) -- Fire officials provided an update to the Seven Cabins Fire saying that the fire remains at 31,870 acres and containment levels have reached 90%.
According to officials, the increase in containment comes from crews checking areas for hot spots, as well as utilizing drones and aircraft to survey the area.
After observing that some of these areas, they were deemed contained which brought up the containment level to 90%.
UPDATE (JUNE 6, 2026 - 11:02 a.m.) -- Fire officials are saying that the fire has grown to 31,870 acres and is now 71% contained.
Officials say that the recent weather kept fire behavior low, which allowed crews to use direct extinguishment without undue risk to themselves.
While the recent weather has been favorable, fire officials say that thunderstorms are in the forecast for the area and crews are prepared to fight any new fires that may start up due to lightning.
UPDATE (MAY 31, 2026 - 12:39 p.m.) --The Seven Cabin Fire now sits at at 29,167 acres and at 51% contained.
Due to weather conditions and fire fuel, officials say the Seven Cabins Fire could increase 200- 1000 acres by the end of Sunday.
Fire officials also say that crews will continue to work to secure the edges and prevent heat sources from threatening containment lines and that 836 personnel are assigned to the fire.
UPDATE (MAY 25, 2026 - 5:20 p.m.) - Containment is now at 46% according to the Southwest Area Incident Management Team 1 with just over 28,750 acres affected by the wild fire. Over a thousand firefighters conducting suppression efforts have managed to contain the burn on the north side. Fire resources are not moving to the south side to continue efforts there. The increase in acreage burned is due to interior pockets that continue to burn today, according to authorities.
UPDATE (MAY 25th, 2026-- 10:20 am) -- Officials say that the Seven Cabins Fire has increased to 26,443 acres, and containment has been lowered to 40%.
Crews continue to make positive progress around the fire, according to fire officials. The crews took advantage of higher relative humidity and cloud cover, crews successfully completed an offensive ignition operation from Base Road west then south on Capitan Gap Road to the ridgeline.
Officials also say that storms moved across the fire area dropping some rain over the fire yesterday. Rain and thunderstorms are predicted to move across the area Monday.
UPDATE (May 24th, 2026--4:46 pm) -- Officials say the Seven Cabins Fire has now increased to 25,186 acres and is 43% contained.
Crews have made substantial progress towards containment, using a combination of ground ignitions, aerial operations, and both direct and indirect suppression tactics, according to officials. Crews taking advantage of opportunities as they make themselves available has resulted in a significant increase in containment.
Officials say that Lincoln County residents in the area of Ft. Lone Tree and South Base Rd. east of Capitan Gap Rd. in Capitan are being placed in a SET status, per Lincoln County Fire Service. This is due to fire managers preparing for planned burnout operations this week in support of ongoing firefighting efforts. Officials say these operations are intended to strengthen containment lines, reduce hazardous fuels ahead of the fire, and improve firefighter and public safety.
UPDATE (May 23, 2026 -- 3:25 pm) -- Officials say that the fire is now at 24,437 acres and containment has grown to 15% contained.
Officials say that crews have strengthened containment lines and increased aerial support capacity, with new water sources and an operational FAA tower boosting firefighting effectiveness.
Ignition operations have been conducted as apart of offensive actions that officials say strategically slow the fire’s spread by safely reducing fuels ahead of the main fire.
UPDATE (May 23, 2026 -- 9:30 am) -- Officials have said that the Seven Cabins Fire has grown a total of 22,631 acres in an update Saturday morning.
The containment of the fire remains at 13% and there are still 913 personnel tasked to the operations of the Seven Cabins Fire.
UPDATE (May 23, 2026) -- As of the latest update, the fire is now 19,088 acres, at 13% containment.
913 personnel have been working to burn several interior pockets, "removing some risk of large runs towards the containment lines."
UPDATE (May 22, 2026) -- After just more than a week since the Seven Cabins fire started, crews increased containment progress to 15% while the fire spread to 17,852 acres, officials said Friday.
Thursday, crews used 150,000 gallons of water to fight the fire, officials said on Facebook. Thunderstorms and increased humidity helped cool down the fire.
Officials said the forest closure is still in place. A temporary flight restriction is also in place over the fire for the safety of fire aircraft.
On Facebook, officials said a drone flew into the airspace and forced all aircraft to set down for a while. It posted a notice that said, "If you fly, we can't" to remind the community it's illegal to fly drones into the fire area.
Officials also shared this photo of the fire:
(Courtesy: Seven Cabins Fire on Facebook)
UPDATE (May 20, 2026) -- The fire grew to 16,443 acres, according to a Facebook post by officials.
Crews made progress containing the fire. Reports show it's at 7% containment. The crew expanded to 787 personnel.
Officials said firefighters are feeling for heat on the ground to find hidden hot spots.
The closures are still in place, officials said.
UPDATE (May 19, 2026) -- In a news update, officials said the Seven Cabins fire grew to 15,858 acres and is still 0% contained. More personnel are helping with the fire, with crews totaling 691 personnel.
Crews are still trying to place control lines, officials said.
Officials said they're expecting lower winds, which could reduce fire spread. However, other weather conditions could make containment difficult, like the dry air.
The wind also limited air operations because of turbulence. Officials said they're using federal aircraft like helicopters and fire retardant tankers.
Sate Highway 246 and all roads, trails and access to the Capitan Mountains are closed.
Officials said residents in the highway area between mile marker 14 and Boy Scout Mountain should evacuate for their safety.
(Courtesy: Seven Cabins Fire on Facebook)
CAPITAN, N.M. (KVIA) -- Monday, officials said the Seven Cabins Fire in the Capitan Mountains area stands at 12,549 acres with 0% containment. The fire started May 14.
Brandon Woodward, Operations Section Chief with Southwest Area Team One, said 276 emergency personnel are working to put the fire out. He said officials sent more help to some areas because of Monday's expected winds.
Fire engines are prepping a line to contain the fire while firefighters are making sure homes and other buildings are safe in the Pine Lodge area.
Woodward said crews will mostly work on containing the fire Monday.
The fire has been linked to a deadly plane crash that killed two pilots and two medical evacuation nurses, according to Trans Aero MedEvac.
