Ox Fire contained at half-acre in Manzano Mountain Wilderness as crews continue mop-up

Smoke may remain visible from Manzano, Punta de Agua, Torreon, and the Estancia Valley as firefighters work to fully extinguish a small lightning-caused fire burning in steep, heavily timbered terrain southwest of Manzano Peak.

The US Forest Service (USFS) reported no new fire growth as of Sunday, June 28, 2026, in its update on the Ox Fire, one of several lightning-strike fires burning within the Mountainair and Mount Taylor Ranger Districts. On Monday, June 29, 2026, the National Interagency Fire Center reported the Ox Fire as 100 percent contained. The fire was first detected by an infrared flight at 9:56 AM MDT on Saturday, June 28, 2026, north of Manzano Peak and southwest of Ox Spring within the Manzano Mountain Wilderness, part of the Cibola National Forest's Mountainair Ranger District.

The fire is holding at approximately one-half acre.

What residents need to know

Crews from the Forest Service's Magdalena Ranger District Apache Kid Wildland Fire Module and the Idaho Panhandle National Forests Fire Module are on scene using hand tools to turn over soil and smother embers, cooling hot spots to prevent the fire from reigniting. The agency's stated strategy is direct extinguishment.

Forest Service officials are asking residents and visitors to stay out of the fire area. The agency also reiterated a warning specific to recreational drone use, noting that an unauthorized drone in the area can ground aircraft supporting suppression efforts. "If you fly, we can't," the agency said in its update, referring to its standard advisory that any drone sighting near an active fire forces a halt to air operations until the area is confirmed clear.

Why this matters here

Residents in Manzano, Punta de Agua, Torreon, the Estancia Valley, and the surrounding east Manzano Mountains should expect to see residual smoke as mop-up continues, even with no active fire growth.

This is one of multiple lightning-caused fires that USFS is currently managing across the Mountainair and Mount Taylor Ranger Districts. Mountainair and Sandia Ranger Districts are still under fire restrictions.

The Dispatch has previously covered wildfire activity and the resulting tension between public access and firefighter safety, including the Deer Canyon Fire, published by the Mountainair Dispatch earlier this month. For background on wilderness fire management generally, the Forest Service maintains incident updates through InciWeb, the federal government's wildland fire information system.

Torrance County residents are also encouraged to sign up for TextMyGov emergency alerts to receive real-time notifications tailored to their needs:

• Text TORRANCE COUNTY to 80946 for general notifications and emergency alerts.
• Text TORRANCE FIRE ALERTS to 80946 for information on prescribed burns or active fires in the area.
• Text TORRANCE NWS to 80946 to receive weather-related alerts.