Valentine Complex
200035,666 acresNew Mexico
The Valentine Complex burned 35,666 acres, about 56 square miles, across Lea County. It began on February 12, 2000.
Watch how it happenedValentine Complex · 2000
How it happened
See how severely each place burned, revealed outward from where it started.
How severely it burned
Burn severity inside the final perimeter, classified from Landsat images taken before and after the fire.
| Severity | Share | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| Moderatemixed: many trees killed, some survive | 0.3% | 94 |
| Lowsurface fire, most trees survive | 83% | 29,482 |
| Unburned to lowislands inside the perimeter, little change | 17% | 6,090 |
No part of the fire was classed as high severity; under 1% burned at moderate severity.
Monitoring Trends in Burn Severity (U.S. Geological Survey and USDA Forest Service). Classes come from the change in a Landsat burn index (dNBR) between images before and after the fire; acres are each class’s share of the fire’s mapped area.
Where it burned
Acres inside each county, measured from the satellite-mapped perimeter.
| Lea County | NM | 35,678 |
Other large fires in New Mexico in 2000
- Cerro Grande Fire44,265 acres
- Grande Complex34,583 acres
- Johnny Fire34,306 acres
- Chance Fire33,112 acres
Monitoring Trends in Burn Severity (USGS and U.S. Forest Service). Type recorded: Wildfire.