Frijoles Fire (New Mexico)

Active · 62% contained · 15,483 acres · started 2026-08-05 · updated 2026-09-04

Frijoles Fire (New Mexico) — Sentinel-2 SWIR (fuego)

True color Fire (SWIR)

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True color (left): as the eye sees it.
Infrared / SWIR (right): sees through smoke.

🟢 green = vegetation
🟤 red/brown = burned
🟠 orange = active fire

Imagery: Sentinel-2 (Copernicus). Drag to compare smoke vs. infrared.

Heat detections: NASA FIRMS (last 48h).

Quick facts

Location: 3 Miles E from Cundiyo, NM
Cause: Natural
Personnel: 390
Complexity: Type 1 Incident
Fuel: Timber (Grass and Understory)
Behavior: Minimal, Backing, Creeping, Smoldering
Jurisdiction: USFS · Federal land

Burning for 30 days at an average daily growth rate of 516 acres, the active Frijoles Fire has now consumed 15,483 acres in Santa Fe County, New Mexico. Located three miles east of Cundiyo and near Santa Fe, the fire is currently 62 percent contained. Personnel numbering 390 are assigned to the incident under the direction of a Complex Incident Management Team and a Type 1 Incident designation, with suppression efforts totaling $43,646,363.91.

Driven by timber, grass, and understory fuels, current fire behavior on the federal land managed by the USFS is characterized as minimal, backing, creeping, and smoldering due to natural causes that sparked the blaze on August 5, 2026. The incident unfolds against the backdrop of the region's typical fire season, which spans from June to October. Nationally, the broader context reveals that 3,172,718 hectares have burned so far in 2026, placing the year's burned area 42 percent below the two-decade average.

In context

This wildfire has been burning in New Mexico for 30 days. So far it has affected roughly 15,483 acres — about 63 km². About 62% of the perimeter is contained — over half is secured, though hotspots remain.

In the Northern Hemisphere, wildfire activity usually peaks during the warm, dry months — roughly May through October.