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Chacon, New Mexico

11 topographic sheets cover this place, the earliest surveyed in 1954 and the latest in 1995. It stands in the Mora census division. It lies in ZIP code area 87713. It lies near Quemado Canyon. The Survey maps it on the Chacon quadrangle. It stands 8,166 feet above sea level.

Chacon within Mora County

Topographic sheets covering this place

5 surveys from 11 printed sheets

Matched by testing this settlement's coordinate against the published boundary of every sheet in the United States Geological Survey's historical collection. Each opens the scanned sheet at the Survey.

Photographs

8 of 28 photographs shown, 1943

Taken for the Office of War Information and the Farm Security Administration, who photographed the country between 1935 and 1944. Works of United States government photographers, with no known restriction on use. Each opens its catalogue record.

Chacon, Mora County, New Mexico. The general store
Chacon, Mora County, New Mexico. The general store
Collier, John, Jr, 1943. Library of Congress
Chacon, Mora County, New Mexico. Saddle horses
Chacon, Mora County, New Mexico. Saddle horses
Collier, John, Jr, 1943. Library of Congress
Chacon, Mora County, New Mexico. A Spanish-American rancher
Chacon, Mora County, New Mexico. A Spanish-American rancher
Collier, John, Jr, 1943. Library of Congress
A Spanish-American rancher. Chacon, Mora County, New Mexico
A Spanish-American rancher. Chacon, Mora County, New Mexico
Collier, John, Jr, 1943. Library of Congress
Chacon, Mora County, New Mexico. Idlers on the general store steps
Chacon, Mora County, New Mexico. Idlers on the general store steps
Collier, John, Jr, 1943. Library of Congress
Chacon, Mora County, New Mexico. School children
Chacon, Mora County, New Mexico. School children
Collier, John, Jr, 1943. Library of Congress
Chacon, Mora County, New Mexico. Spanish-American ranchers
Chacon, Mora County, New Mexico. Spanish-American ranchers
Collier, John, Jr, 1943. Library of Congress
Chacon, Mora County, New Mexico. A store
Chacon, Mora County, New Mexico. A store
Collier, John, Jr, 1943. Library of Congress

Every photograph of Mora County

Fires near this place

37 since 1993

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal wildfire occurrence database lists 37 fires within 5 miles of Chacon between 1993 and 2019, burning about 374 acres in total. 16 started naturally. None was recorded as arson. Distance is straight-line from the map coordinates, so a fire counted here may appear on a neighbouring settlement's page as well.

Reported cause Fires
Natural16
Recreation and ceremony12
Missing data/not specified/undetermined6
Debris and open burning2
Smoking1

The most recent of them, most recent first, with the day each was reported and the service that recorded it.

DateCause SizeReported by Name on the report
6 September 2003Naturalunder an acreNew Mexico State Forestry DivisionPICACHO
3 September 2007Recreation and ceremonyunder an acreCarson National ForestCAMP 1
7 August 2011Natural2.0 acresNew Mexico State Forestry DivisionLOS ALAMITOS
5 August 2003Naturalunder an acreNew Mexico State Forestry DivisionLUJAN
28 August 2002Naturalunder an acreNew Mexico State Forestry DivisionROMERO
15 August 2000Naturalunder an acreNorthern Pueblos AgencyAPCH SPRNG
4 July 1994Recreation and ceremonyunder an acreCarson National Forestnot named
4 July 1994Recreation and ceremonyunder an acreCarson National Forestnot named

Settlements close enough to share some of these fires:

Every fire recorded in Mora County

Storms near this place

11 since 2021

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The National Weather Service names Chacon in 11 storm reports between 2021 and 2025: 9 flash flood, 1 debris flow, 1 flood. No death or injury is recorded in these reports. Each account below is quoted exactly as the forecast office filed it, from the NOAA Storm Events Database, and each date opens the federal record of that event.

WhenEvent Place namedHarm What the report says
July 2021Flash FloodChacon$750,000Heavy rain across the Luna burn scar resulted in major flash flooding in Luna Canyon and surrounding areas, and the force of the water altered the landscape. Water and debris destroyed one bridge and many roads became impassable. An observer reported that the water in the narrow Luna Canyon was several feet high. A CoCoRaHS observer near Chacon reported that the Luna Creek, which is usually just a few feet wide became 100 yards wide. Campsites on private land were demolished. The New Mexico Governor declared a state of emergency in Mora County for the significant flooding.
August 2022Debris FlowChacon$75,000A rock slide on the Calf Canyon burn scar caused by heavy rainfall impacted New Mexico State Highway 121 from mile markers 3 to 5. This forced the closure of the roadway and trapped vehicles on the road. Damages are estimated.
June 2022Flash FloodChacon$75,000The Mora County emergency manager reported debris flow near a house west of Highway 121 along Lea Road. Damages are estimated.
July 2021Flash FloodChacon$75,000Rainfall totals just under one inch in a short period of time across the Luna burn scar resulted in flash flooding north of Chacon. The fast moving water and debris flow washed out large boulders and downed trees near Luna Canyon Road, and a private road to many cabins was also washed out. A CoCoRaHS observer reported that the Lujan Canyon road was impassable due to washed out culverts and large amounts of debris on the road. Damages are a rough estimate.
July 2022Flash FloodChacon$50,000About 1.5 inches of heavy rain fell near Chacon on the Hermits Peak/Calf Canyon burn scar. This caused flash flooding on area roadways, including Highways 121 and 519. Highway 121 reportedly had 2 to 3.5 feet of water along it while County Road B009 was under 5 feet of water due to a backed up culvert. Damages are estimated.
July 2021Flash FloodChacon$50,000Trained spotters near Chacon reported 30 to 45 minutes of heavy rain across the Luna burn scar resulted in significant flash flooding in the area as well as three to twelve inches of mud and debris. The rapidly moving water also displaced boulders that blocked a residential driveway. Damages are a rough estimate.
July 2021Flash FloodChacon$30,000A CoCoRaHS observer reported flash flooding along Luna Creek and Luna Canyon Road that resulted from heavy rain along the Luna burn scar north of Chacon. The observer also reported that some structures in the area had been damaged, but the extent or type of structures that sustained damage is unknown. Damages are a rough estimate.
July 2021Flash FloodChacon$25,000An estimated quarter of one inch of rain in under one hour on the Luna burn scar resulted in flash flooding in the area and areas downstream. This resulted in building damage along Luna Creek in Luna Canyon. The number of buildings damaged and to what extent is unknown. Damages are a rough estimate.
May 2025FloodChacon-A trained spotter near Chacon confirmed reports from various sources across social media and broadcast media of flooding across the eastern slopes of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains resulting from heavy rain and heavy rain on snow within the Hermit's Peak/Calf Canyon burn scar. Photos and video were shared of high rises on area creeks and streams near Chacon within the Luna Creek. The NM DOT also posted reports of standing water on NM 434 between mile markers 7 and 14 between El Turquillo and Guadalupita, NM.
September 2024Flash FloodChacon-Fast flowing from a nearby culvert washed out a dirt road a few miles south of Chacon, within the Hermit's Peak/Calf Canyon burn scar. The location is estimated.
August 2022Flash FloodChacon-Heavy rain in Chacon near the Calf Canyon burn scar caused flooding across Highway 121. No damages were known.

Every storm recorded in Mora County

Nearest settlements

The eight closest, with where each one stands in the county. Distances are straight-line, computed from the Geographic Names Information System coordinates.

Map PlaceDistance Sheets
Guadalupita6.9 miles10
Holman7.4 miles10
El Turquillo7.6 miles12
Los Cocas8.4 miles10
Los Cisneros8.8 miles10
Los Medinas10.3 miles10
Cleveland10.4 miles16
Vallecitos10.6 miles16

Elsewhere

Matched on this settlement's Geographic Names Information System number rather than its name, so it cannot be a different place of the same name in another state.

Wikipedia article on ChaconAn encyclopaedic summary. Its text is share-alike, so it is linked here rather than copied.
Wikidata item Q19460927The structured record the population and elevation above come from. Public domain (CC0).

Provenance

This settlement is recorded in the Geographic Names Information System as feature 915811. The sheet list is computed by point-in-boundary test against the United States Geological Survey's historical topographic inventory. Both are works of the United States government and carry no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105.

Wildfire. Short, Karen C. 2022. Spatial wildfire occurrence data for the United States, 1992-2020 [FPA_FOD_20221014]. 6th Edition. Fort Collins, CO: Forest Service Research Data Archive. https://doi.org/10.2737/RDS-2013-0009.6 Collected with United States Government funding and usable without additional permissions or fees.

Storms. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/stormevents/ A work of the United States government, no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105. Narratives are quoted verbatim from the National Weather Service report and are not edited or summarised.