Mimbres Hand Crew Pursues Elite Hotshot Status in New Mexico

As wildfires grow larger and more complex across the West, New Mexico is working to build one of the nation’s most elite firefighting resources—and a southern New Mexico-based crew is leading the effort.

The New Mexico Forestry Division recently highlighted the work of the Mimbres Hand Crew in the feature article, “Mimbres Hand Crew Goes for Hotshot Status: New Mexico Responders Train for Elite Wildland Firefighting Designation,” written by Emery Veilleux and published through ArcGIS.

Based in Socorro, the Mimbres Hand Crew is one of New Mexico’s two year-round wildland firefighting crews. Since its creation in 2023, the crew has responded to fires across the state and region while building the experience necessary to pursue certification as an Interagency Hotshot Crew.

If successful, Mimbres would become just the fourth state-led hotshot crew in the nation among the 115 interagency hotshot crews currently operating in the United States.

Hotshot crews are considered the elite teams of wildland firefighting. These highly trained crews are deployed to some of the nation’s most challenging incidents, working in steep terrain and difficult conditions to construct fire lines, conduct firing operations and protect communities and natural resources.

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The push to establish state-led hotshot crews in New Mexico gained momentum following the devastating 2022 wildfire season, including the Hermit’s Peak-Calf Canyon Fire. In 2023, the New Mexico Legislature funded the creation of Mimbres Hand Crew in southern New Mexico and Pecos River Hand Crew in northern New Mexico.

According to the ArcGIS feature, Mimbres crews are now undergoing peer review and field evaluations by established hotshot crews. The process can take multiple fire seasons and requires demonstrating proficiency in line construction, firing operations, coordination with aircraft and other complex wildfire assignments.

Photos courtesy New Mexico Forestry Division.

The effort comes as New Mexico faces increasingly challenging fire seasons driven by drought, insect outbreaks and warmer temperatures. State foresters recently reported that tree mortality tripled across New Mexico in 2025, while beetle-killed conifer forests increased by more than 200 percent.

For firefighters, the work is both physically demanding and deeply personal. Wildland crews often spend weeks on the fireline, hiking rugged terrain with heavy packs while working long shifts in smoke and heat.

Yet for many firefighters, the sense of teamwork and service keeps them returning year after year.

Readers interested in learning more about the crew’s journey toward hotshot status can read the full ArcGIS feature, “Mimbres Hand Crew Goes for Hotshot Status: New Mexico Responders Train for Elite Wildland Firefighting Designation,” by Emery Veilleux.