New Mexico
Gila National Forest: Sacaton Fire in Gila Wilderness Remains Active
(Glenwood, NM, June 29, 2026) — The very hot, dry, windy weather that affected much of the state, including all of the Gila National Forest, Saturday and Sunday, contributed to increased fire activity on the Sacaton Fire. During a reconnaissance flight Monday, the Glenwood Ranger District fire management officer observed a spot fire had become established about 0.5 miles northeast of the main fire. Combined, the main and spot fires are approximately 372 acres.
Fire behavior is being driven by weather, topography, and fuels. Where the fire is burning among numerous dead standing and down trees from the 2012 Whitewater-Baldy Fire, it is backing downslope or growing outward on its sides. Where the fire encounters pockets of vegetation not burned in 2012, it is making some uphill runs. The smoke being generated during periods of moderate fire behavior is widely visible: from the Gila Cliff Dwellings to the east, from Lordsburg to the south, along U.S. Route 180 to the west, and from Quemado to the north.
Numerous extreme hazards to ground and aerial firefighters exist, including extremely steep, rugged terrain; heavy dead and down fuels; overhead snags and six-hour ground evacuation times. Direct and indirect tactics are being used by firefighters. Direct tactics are being considered where fire is threatening identified values, such as the Mogollon Baldy Lookout, if the risks to firefighters’ safety can be adequately mitigated and if the probability of success is high. The immediate values at risk do not include private property.
No significant rain is predicted this week. Smoke, and occasionally flames, will continue to be visible from great distances in all directions.
The lightning-caused Sacaton Fire was detected Sunday, June 21, in the Gila Wilderness. It is currently about 3.5 miles west of the Mogollon Baldy Lookout and approximately 12 miles east of the community of Pleasanton.
Stay informed about wildfire activity through the forest’s website and Facebook page, InciWeb, New Mexico Fire Information or WildFireSA.
About the Forest Service: The Forest Service has, for more than 100 years, brought people and communities together to answer the call of conservation. Grounded in world-class science and technology — and rooted in communities — the Forest Service connects people to nature and to each other. The Forest Service cares for shared natural resources in ways that promote lasting economic, ecological, and social vitality. The agency manages 193 million acres of public land, provides assistance to state and private landowners and maintains the largest wildland fire and forestry research organizations in the world. The Forest Service also has either a direct or indirect role in stewardship of about 900 million forested acres within the U.S., of which over 130 million acres are urban forests where most Americans live.
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Renters in Las Cruces, Nm saw apartment listing prices increase 16% from July 2025’s median of $1,290, an analysis of new data from rental marketplace Zumper shows.
The typical apartment listed for rent at $1,495 in July. Median listing prices in Las Cruces, Nm are trending slightly upwards from the previous month’s $1,457 price.
The data covers all bedroom sizes, ranging from studios to four-bedroom units, within the specified metropolitan area. It reflects the median rent for all listings that were active at any given point during the month, according to Russell Middleton, co-founder of Zumper. New construction is included in the data and listings that are currently occupied or no longer available are excluded.
Out of 203 rental listings in Las Cruces, Nm, none are subsidized.
One-bedroom apartments listed to rent at a median of $1,000, slightly higher than June, when they were $988. Since July 2025, one-bedroom rental prices rose 6% from $940.
Two-bedroom apartments listed for rent were basically flat to June at a central price of $1,200, compared to $1,193. Since July 2025, two-bedroom rental prices rose 9% from $1,103.
Statewide, New Mexico rental listing prices are slightly higher than June’s median of $1,426. One-bedroom rentals were listed for a typical price of $1,000, essentially the same as June’s average of $995. Two-bedroom rental listing prices are nearly the same as June’s central price of $1,307.
In Las Cruces, Nm, the typical apartment listed for rent is 3% above the state median. One-bedroom rentals were the same as the state median, while two-bedrooms listed 8% below.
Nationwide, apartment rental listing prices are in line with the previous month’s $1,900. One-bedroom rentals across the nation listed for a typical price of $1,550, the same as the previous month, while two-bedroom rental listing prices held steady to the previous month’s median of $1,800.
In Las Cruces, Nm, the typical apartment listed for rent is 21% below the national median. One-bedroom apartment rentals listed 35% below the national median, with two-bedroom rentals listed 33% below.
The median apartment rental prices used in this report are gathered from Zumper, which aggregates over one million active listings posted by brokers and landlords to Zumper’s Landlord Platform and third-party listings from MLS providers to calculate median asking rents. Read more about their rent estimate methodology here.
USA TODAY Co. is publishing localized versions of this story on its news sites across the country, generated with data from Zumper . Please leave any feedback or corrections for this story here.
BIG SPRING, Texas (NEWS RELEASE) – West Texas VA Health Care System (WTVAHCS) will host an in-person Veteran town hall meeting on Thursday, Aug. 27, 2026, from 6 to 7 p.m. Mountain Time at the WTVAHCS Hobbs VA Clinic.
All West Texas Veterans, their families and caregivers are invited to attend. This town hall offers the opportunity to discuss issues that matter to Veterans, share ideas and suggestions, and serves as a chance to make a real difference in your VA Medical Center. Veterans will also receive important information on health benefits and program updates and will be able to ask questions directly of WTVAHCS leadership and subject matter experts.
“We encourage all Veterans across West Texas to attend this town hall in person, so we can take their questions and share how WTVAHCS continuously improving to better serve our Veterans,” said Public Affairs Officer Michael Cole.
WHAT: WTVAHCS In-Person Veteran Town Hall
WHEN: Thursday, Aug. 27, 2026, 6–7 p.m. Mountain Time
WHERE: WTVAHCS Hobbs VA Clinic, 1301 North Turner Street, Hobbs, NM
West Texas VA HCS provides Veterans with health care services at six locations serving west Texas and southeastern New Mexico. Our facilities include the George H. O’Brien Jr. VA Medical Center in Big Spring and five community-based outpatient clinics in Abilene, Fort Stockton, San Angelo, and Odessa, Texas, and Hobbs, New Mexico. Find a VA health facility near you and manage your health online.
For more information about the town hall or other VA opportunities, contact West Texas VA Public Affairs at michael.cole6@va.gov .
Copyright 2026 KCBD. All rights reserved.
New traffic changes on the I-25 frontage roads between Comanche and Montgomery now have an official name: the Q-Turn.
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – New traffic changes on the I-25 frontage roads between Comanche and Montgomery now have an official name: the Q-Turn.
Early Friday night, the New Mexico Department of Transportation revealed the new name after asking the public for help.
Neighbors to the east call the design the “Texas Turnaround,” but NMDOT chose “Q-Turn” for New Mexico.
The department says Q-Turns let drivers safely make a U-turn before reaching the main intersection, which will reduce delays and keep traffic moving more smoothly.
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