Wildfire Burns in Mimbres Ahead of Community Meeting

Grant County invites public to share fire mitigation concerns as it updates Community Wildfire Protection Plan

Mar. 25, 2026 at 1:00am

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A wildfire that burned 18.77 acres in the Mimbres area of Grant County, New Mexico has been contained by multiple volunteer fire departments. As the county works to update its Community Wildfire Protection Plan, it is inviting the public to a final meeting on Thursday to share their thoughts on fire mitigation in their neighborhoods.

Why it matters

The Community Wildfire Protection Plan qualifies the county for state funding for fire mitigation projects, but the last plan from 2020 has seen no goals or recommendations implemented. The new plan aims to more accurately assess fire risk to the county's 48 unincorporated communities and prioritize projects accordingly.

The details

The Mondrano Fire was started when a property owner lost control of a prescribed burn over the weekend. It burned steep, rugged terrain along the Mimbres River, destroying a house and several vehicles. While considered a wildfire, the incident highlights the need for better fire mitigation efforts in the county's Wildland-Urban Interface areas. The updated plan will incorporate input from stakeholders and the public to identify priorities like creating defensible space, managing yard waste, and improving fire department resources and communications.

  • The Mondrano Fire started on the weekend of March 22-23, 2026.
  • The final public meeting on the county's Community Wildfire Protection Plan update will be held on Thursday, March 27, 2026 at 6 p.m.

The players

Roger Groves

Grant County Fire Chief.

Scot Fuller

Grant County Emergency Manager.

H2O Partners

An Austin, Texas-based company hired to write the updated Community Wildfire Protection Plan for Grant County.

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What they’re saying

“So the question was, can we find a way that there's no charge for dumping the slash and the chips into the landfill? You want us to chip and thin our properties, but then you're going to charge us.”

— Scot Fuller, Grant County Emergency Manager

“We can always use more members. Some of our departments are operating with minimal numbers, and they can all use additional help. Not everyone's going to fight a fire, but they're always using support personnel as well.”

— Roger Groves, Grant County Fire Chief

What’s next

The county will submit the final version of the updated Community Wildfire Protection Plan to the State Forestry Division by the end of August 2026, and expects approval later that fall, enabling future funding for mitigation projects.

The takeaway

This incident underscores the ongoing challenges Grant County faces in addressing wildfire risk, from empowering private landowners to create defensible space to ensuring volunteer fire departments have adequate resources. The updated Community Wildfire Protection Plan aims to provide a more comprehensive, data-driven roadmap to improve fire mitigation efforts across the county's Wildland-Urban Interface areas.