Fort Wingate Missile Launch Possible Today

Above, yours truly at the Six Mile Canyon gate.

There may be a missile launch from Fort Wingate today. As such, for public safety, some areas are under a temporary closure order. This includes Six Mile Canyon of the Cibola National Forest.

Fort Wingate is roughly ten miles from Jamestown (as the crow flies).

According to the order posted by the Grant County Beat:

Albuquerque, NM, October 2, 2024 – A Temporary Area Closure Order (03-03-02-24-12) has been reissued within the Mt. Taylor Ranger District, Cibola National Forest, McKinley County, New Mexico. The previously announced launch dates of Sept 25 and 28 were postponed by White Sands Missile Range. A launch is tentatively rescheduled for Saturday, Oct 5 with a backup date of Sunday Oct 13 requiring an area closure order within the Mt Taylor Ranger District.

This Order shall be in effect from October 4, 2024, at 2:00 PM, through October 5, 2024, at 4 PM, and if necessary, October 12, 2024, at 2:00 PM, Through October 13, 2024 at 4 PM. unless rescinded.

The purpose of this Order is to protect public health and safety during the U.S. Army's planned missile launch, including pre-launch periods, near the Fort Wingate Army Depot.

The Described Area is within Township 14N., Range 16W., Sections 1-24 and 27-35; Township 13N., Range 16W., Sections 2-6; Township 14N., Range 16W., Sections 7, 8, and 18; specifically, all NFS lands within the boundary starting at the Forest Service gate on NFS Road 547 in Six Mile Canyon, then following NFS Road 547 in a southwesterly direction for 4.6 miles to the intersection of the section lines of Sections 23, 24, 25, and 26, then following south along the section line between Sections 25 and 26, until the southwest corner of Section 2, T13N., T16W., then following the section line west to the southwest corner of Section 6, T13N., R16W. (excluding private inholdings), then following the Cibola National Forest boundary north then east, back to the point of beginning, which is the Forest Service gate on NFS Road 547 in Six Mile Canyon, as depicted in Exhibit A Map of this Order. 

To read more, go here.