Line Fire, Nara Visa, New Mexico

True view Fire view

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True view (left): as the eye sees it.
Fire view (right): infrared (SWIR), sees through smoke and brings out the heat.

🟢 green = vegetation
🟤 brown = already burned
🟠 orange = fire right now

Drag to compare: normal photo on the left, heat brought out on the right.

Green: vegetationBrown: already burnedOrange: fire right nowSentinel-2 · Copernicus

Key facts

Source: NIFC

Location1 mile south of Nara Visa, NM

What's burningTall Grass (2.5 feet)

How it's behavingMinimalRunning — Runs along the ground much faster than a person walks.Wind Driven Runs — The wind pushes it in long runs in one direction.

ComplexityType 4 IncidentOfficial scale from 5 to 1: a Type 1 is the most complex in the country.

JurisdictionPrivate land

Cost so far$500,000

Glossary: what each term means

Minimal

Barely moving. Low, thin smoke.

Smoldering

Burning without flame, in the ground or in roots. Can flare up days later.

Creeping

Moves slowly, hugging the ground.

Moderate

Spreads with low, steady flames.

Active

Spreading evenly and steadily, with visible flame.

Extreme

Fast and unpredictable.

Running

Runs along the ground much faster than a person walks.

Flanking

Grows along the sides, not head-on.

Backing

Moves against the wind or downhill, which makes it slower.

Crowning

Climbs into the treetops and jumps crown to crown. It can't be attacked from the ground.

Short Crown Runs

Climbs into the crowns in bursts and drops back down.

Torching

Whole trees flaring up like torches.

Isolated Torching

Single scattered trees flaring up whole, like torches.

Group Torching

Whole clumps of trees flaring at once.

Spotting

Wind carries embers through the air and starts new fires ahead of the front: that is how a fire jumps a road or a firebreak.

Wind Driven Runs

The wind pushes it in long runs in one direction.

The ones marked ● are the behaviors that make a fire harder to stop. They are not a warning or an instruction: they are the description written by the agency in charge. For decisions, always follow your emergency services.

The story so far

Burning across Quay County, New Mexico, the Line Fire has maintained an active presence for 112 days since its ignition on May 15, 2026, averaging a growth of approximately 269 acres per day to reach a total footprint of 30,144 acres. Situated just one mile south of Nara Visa, the incident has achieved full containment at 100 percent.

Fire behavior on the private lands, characterized by tall grass reaching heights of 2.5 feet, has recently involved minimal activity alongside running and wind-driven runs. Operations have been managed by a Type 4 Incident Commander leading a crew of 48 personnel, with total incident costs amounting to $500,000 for the Type 4 Incident.

This fire occurs within a regional context where the typical fire season spans from June to October. Nationally, the broader picture reflects 3,177,542 hectares burned so far in 2026, placing the year's cumulative area 42 percent below the two-decade average.

In context

This wildfire has been burning in New Mexico for 161 days. So far it has affected roughly 30,144 acres — about 122 km². The perimeter is 100% contained.

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