Single Publication

July 13, 2022 – Hermits Peak and Calf Canyon Fire Update

Acres: 341,735| Containment: 93% | Total personnel: 323| 
Start Date: Hermits Peak: April 6, 2022; Calf Canyon: April 19, 2022 | Cause: Hermits Peak: Spot fires from prescribed burn; Calf Canyon: Holdover fire from prescribed pile burn |
Location: 12 miles NW of Las Vegas, NM | Fuels: Heavy mixed conifer, ponderosa pine, brush, and grass

Highlights: Using the Private Land Suppression Repair Survey, residents have submitted requests for firefighter assistance on over 500 properties around the Hermits Peak and Calf Canyon Fire area. The incident management team is prioritizing suppression repair activities on these private lands to assist the local communities, with additional resources arriving over the next several days to support this mission. As suppression repair actions are completed, the incident management team notifies local landowners to confirm that their needs are met.

Operations: Despite recurring afternoon rains, firefighters have successfully completed suppression repairs in Christmas Tree Canyon. Crews continue to repair impacted fences and dozer lines, a specific type of fireline constructed by the front blade of a dozer, in the areas around Chacon and Sierra Bonita. Near Cleveland, firefighters are cleaning and repairing culverts to improve road conditions for future use. All suppression repair measures completed along the corridor between Pot Creek and Black Lake have remained stable, even with the wet conditions. In some places, over an inch of heavy rain forced crews to disengage from repair work in the afternoon. Crews are scouting for areas where additional repairs may be needed in the coming days. Excavators are moving into the area alongside Cañ de la Cueva to assist with dozer line repair. In areas where the terrain is too steep for heavy equipment, firefighters are completing repairs by hand. Near Elk Mountain Road, crews are locating and retrieving miscellaneous equipment, including pumps, hoses, and fuel cans.  

Closures and Restrictions: Area closures remain in effect for both the Santa Fe and Carson National Forests. These closures are in place for ongoing wildfire suppression repair operations, and to protect public health and safety in the event of debris flow and flash flooding. The wildfire suppression repair operations include, but are not limited to, hazard tree felling, road repair and stabilization, heavy equipment use, and fire line repair efforts. For the latest information about the Hermits Peak and Calf Canyon Fires closure orders for both the Santa Fe and Carson National Forests, please see the links to each forest’s website below. Information related to fire restrictions across public and private land can be found at: https://nmfireinfo.com/fire-restrictions/.

Weather: Scattered showers and thunderstorms will develop late this morning and continue through the evening. Many of these slow moving storms will contain heavy rainfall which may result in flash flooding. Scattered afternoon and evening showers and thunderstorms will be possible through the weekend. Temperatures today through the weekend will not stray far from the normal values for this time of year.

After Fire Flooding and Recovery Resources: Disaster assistance resources: https://www.nmdhsem.org/2022-wildfires/| After Wildfire New Mexico Guide: https://www.afterwildfirenm.org/| Hermits Peak & Calf Canyon Fires Burned Area Emergency Response: https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/8104/ |New Mexico State Emergency Operations Center: 1-800-432-2080.

Suppression Repair Property Survey: https://www.tinyurl.com/suppressionrepair

Fire Information: Office Hours: 8:00 AM – 8:00 PM | Phone: 505-356-2636| Email: 2022.hermitspeak@firenet.gov

Online Fire Information Resources: inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/8069/ | https://www.facebook.com/CalfCanyonHermitsPeak*| nmfireinfo.com |tinyurl.com/HermitsYouTube | Santa Fe National Forest | Carson National Forest

*Beginning July 16, the Calf Canyon and Hermits Peak Fire Facebook page will no longer be monitored. Please refer to the Santa Fe National Forest Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/santafeNF/ for future updates.