Wildfire — Southwest Mountains, New Mexico

2025-07-01 to 2025-07-15 · Southwest Mountains, New Mexico

Event narrative

The Turkeyfeather Wildfire was a lightning started fire in a very remote area of the Gila National Forest 22 miles southeast of Reserve, NM. Gusty and erratic winds from nearby thunderstorm activity allowed the fire to rapidly grow during the first week of July. The fire burned a total of 24,128 acres by July 16th before slowing down.

Wider weather episode

The Turkeyfeather Wildfire was a lightning start wildfire originally discovered June 30th with rapid spread experienced in July. The fire was located 22 miles southeast of Reserve, NM in a very remote area of the Gila National Forest. The fire burned a total of 24,180 acres by July 15th.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 1264493. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.