Single Publication

Hermits Peak and Calf Canyon Fires
June 15, 2022, Daily Update, 08:00 AM 

Acres: 335,069 | Containment: 70% | Total personnel: 2,199 | 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: Located near Gallinas Canyon | Fuels: Heavy mixed conifer, ponderosa pine, brush, and grass 

Highlights: A live virtual community meeting will be hosted on the Hermits Peak and Calf Canyon Fire Facebook Page. The fire is increasing in activity based on the predicted Red Flag conditions we are currently experiencing over the fire area. The fire perimeter on the west side expanded to the northwest, toward Hamilton Mesa. Suppression repair work in the North and South Zones is progressing, and crews are working to construct water bars on steep slopes to minimize resource damage when the monsoons arrive. Private property owners are advised to complete the suppression repair survey. See the Suppression Repair Property Survey section below for more information. 
 
Operations: 

North Zone (SWIMT1): With the increased fire activity in south zone, the northwestern division of the fire coordinated additional look-out positions to provide increased awareness and safety for firefighters on the ground. Wildland fire modules, which are a specialized small crew of firefighters who focus on monitoring and suppression planning in remote areas, are assigned to the western side of the zone providing additional situational awareness as fire activity increased. Work continues on control lines. Use of mechanized equipment was stopped mid-day due to risk of igniting new starts. Suppression repair progresses steadily, including repair work being completed north of Chacon and along the northeast corner of the fire perimeter along the 434 corridor. An initial attack task force is in place to support local units in the event of new starts.   

South Zone (SWIMT2): Fire activity remains high as near record setting temperatures and strong winds continue, creating highly visible smoke throughout the fire area. Winds will continue to push from the west, keeping humidity low and temperatures high. Active areas of the fire from Tuesday will continue to remain active, primarily around the Rio Mora drainage and the Trampas Fire burn scar as the fire pushes up slope. The fire has not crossed the Hamilton Mesa Trail and continues to burn towards the northeast, into the wilderness. The fire will also continue to consume interior islands of unburned fuel within the fire perimeter throughout today's burning period. Crews continue to focus on repair work along the Skyline Trail, which include chipping, mop-up efforts, and  cleaning up downed debris and dozer line. Firefighters continue to monitor and suppress fire activity along Hamilton Mesa Trail. Crews will also continue with structure protection around Beatty’s Cabin and North Pecos. There are no changes to road closures or evacuation orders in the fire area.  

Evacuations: To view real-time evacuation information around the Hermits Peak and Calf Canyon Fires, visit: https://tinyurl.com/HermitsPeak for the evacuation map. The Ready, Set, Go evacuation guide is available in English and Spanish here: https://tinyurl.com/RSGNM. For disaster assistance resources, visit: https://www.nmdhsem.org/2022-wildfires/.  

Weather: Minimum relative humidity values will drop down into the single digits and low teens along with wind gusts up to 40 mph. An isolated dry thunderstorm cannot be ruled out due to high level moisture and instability moving across the fire area, but the threat is low. 
 
Closures and Restrictions: All National Forests in New Mexico have closures or restrictions in place due to extreme fire danger. To learn more about these closures and restrictions, visit: https://tinyurl.com/bdy5y99r. Information related to fire restrictions across public and private land can be found at: https://nmfireinfo.com/fire-restrictions/. 
 
After Fire Flooding and Recovery Resources: After Wildfire New Mexico guide https://www.afterwildfirenm.org/ | Hermits Peak & Calf Canyon Fire Burned Area Emergency Response information https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/8104/. 

Suppression Repair Property Survey: Suppression repair is a series of immediate post-fire actions taken to repair damages and minimize potential soil erosion and impacts resulting from fire suppression activities and usually begins before the fire is contained, and before the demobilization of an Incident Management Team. To request support with suppression repair activities: https://www.tinyurl.com/suppressionrepair  

Smoke:  An interactive smoke map at fire.airnow.gov/ allows you to zoom into your area to see the latest smoke conditions.

Fire Information: Office Hours: 8:00 AM – 8:00 PM | Phone: 505-356-2636 | Email: 2022.hermitspeak@firenet.gov Online: inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/8069/ | https://www.facebook.com/CalfCanyonHermitsPeak| nmfireinfo.com |tinyurl.com/HermitsYouTube | Santa Fe NF |