Calf Canyon and Hermits Peak fires combine

April 23, 2022, daily update, 10:00 am

Reflexes: The loss of structure has occurred due to the extreme weather experienced yesterday that caused an uncontrolled line of fire that affected the communities. Firefighters and law enforcement are gaining access to areas that are safe to do so. Damage assessments will be ongoing and when information is collected, residents will be contacted by the county.

For security reasons, the electricity supply has been proactively cut off in Pendaries, Carretera Comarcal A-3A, Rocciada, Manelitas and Canoncito. There are several road closures, including Highway 518 from Sapello north to Buena Vista. The safety of firefighters and the public remains the number one priority.

Operations: The focus on Friday was the safety of public life during evacuations and firefighters trying to participate as safely as possible. Fire managers coordinated with sheriff’s offices in both counties to receive timely evacuation notices throughout the day. With the rapid rate of fire spread and limited visibility, it was very difficult to determine where the fire was active and very difficult for firefighters to participate in this dynamic and dangerous environment. There was limited opportunity for crews to perform active protection of the structure due to extreme fire behavior. Today, crews will focus on protecting homes to the northwest between Highway 518 and the edge of the fire, as well as preventing the fire from moving south into the critical area of ​​the watershed. Detection up to a half mile is anticipated. The fire is expected to cross 518 and burn grasslands at high speeds, as wind is a determining factor. Due to the fusion of the two fires, it has not been possible to calculate the containment with precision.

Evacuations: The San Miguel County Sheriff’s Office and the Mora County Sheriff’s Office have been working together to keep people safe and have issued mandatory “GO” evacuations, with many communities remaining in an “ESTABLISHED” and “READY” status. “. Evacuation status and road closures continue to be assessed and are done using Ready, Set, Go! system. Updates will be posted on the San Miguel County and Mora County Sheriff’s Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/smcso.nm.

Weather: There is a Red Flag Warning today with winds mostly from the west, then turning to the north-northwest throughout the day with speeds of 20-25 mph and gusts to 40+ mph. Southwest-west winds will sharply increase to 20-30 mph with gusts from the west to over 40 mph by midday through late afternoon. Widespread wind gusts will persist throughout the day.

Restrictions: The Santa Fe National Forest has issued a closure order and implemented Stage II fire restrictions to protect public health and safety during fire operations on the Calf Canyon Fire. The full closure order and map are available at https://www.fs.usda.gov/main/santafe/home. The Temporary Flight Restriction (TFR) in place over the area has been expanded to include the Gallinas Canyon area. The TFR also covers unmanned aircraft or drones. More information on the dangers posed by drones to wildland firefighting aircraft and ground personnel can be found at: www.nifc.gov/drones.

Smoke: Fire activity around Rocciada, Pendaries and Sapello will cause unhealthy air quality conditions in the area. Westerly winds will produce periods of unhealthy air quality for sensitive groups in the Las Vegas area at times. Moderate conditions are expected throughout the day in the Las Vegas area. Periods of dust and smoke will reduce visibility along portions of NM-518. An interactive smoke map in https://fire.airnow.gov/ allows you to zoom in on your area to see the latest smoke conditions.

Future Fire Information: Fire information office hours for the Calf Canyon Fire and Hermit Peak Fire are 8:00 am to 8:00 pm The phone number for fire information is 505-356-2636. The email address is [email protected]. Future fire information will continue to be posted on inciwebthe sfnf’s facebook Y Twitter, sfnf websiteand the New Mexico Fire Information website.