Calf Canyon and Hermit’s Peak Fires
April 29, 2022, Daily Update, 09:00AM
Acres: 65,824 acresContainment: 37% Start Date: April 19, 2022Cause: Under investigationTotal personnel: 965 Location: Located near Gallinas CanyonFuels: Mixed conifer Highlights: A wind-driven run on the north edge of the fire challenged firefighters on the ground and in the air yesterday. Structure protection measures continue to be a top priority across the fire area. Power has been restored to some areas of the fire but others cannot be re-energized until it is safe to do so. Evacuation and road closure status may change rapidly today, please watch for updates. Respect all closures and allow firefighting resources to work safely. Firefighter and public safety will continue to be the number one priority.Operations: Containment lines on the northern edge of the fire were challenged yesterday by strong winds and rising temperatures. A wind-driven run pushed over established lines in the Capulin Mountain area, creating a smoke column visible for a great distance. Firefighters worked overnight to slow spread towards the community of Ledoux. Higher winds are predicted for today, with a red flag warning beginning at 9 AM and a high wind warning from Albuquerque National Weather Service. These weather conditions pose a high risk to firefighters and may require resources to disengage, relocate, or change tactics for safety. An additional structure group was formed, making three total groups that are assigned to the north, west and south areas of the fire. These groups will work today to implement protection measures and perform point protection around homes, outbuildings, and other features. Air operations will be limited in their work by high winds.Evacuations: The San Miguel and Mora County Sheriffs ask that all residents within the fire area remain on high alert for changes to evacuation statuses and road closures. Red Flag weather today could result in sudden changes to closures and evacuation levels. It is imperative to respect closures and follow evacuation orders. Failure to do so can pose additional risk to firefighters and the public. Please follow San Miguel County and Mora County Sheriff’s Facebook pages for the latest updates at https://www.facebook.com/smcso.nm and https://www.facebook.com/moracountysheriffoffice. Weather: A red flag warning is in place beginning today at 9:00 AM until 9:00 PM, as well as a high wind warning from Albuquerque National Weather Service. Sustained winds of 30-35 MPH are expected, with gusts up to 50 MPH, increasing with elevation and maintaining throughout the shift. Poor relative humidity recovery overnight combined with rising temperatures and high winds will challenge established fire lines and hamper firefighting efforts in the air and on the ground.Restrictions: The Santa Fe National Forest has issued a closure order and has implemented Stage II fire restrictions to protect public health and safety during fire operations on the Calf Canyon Fire. 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 was expanded to include the Gallinas Canyon area. The TFR also covers unmanned aircraft, or drones. If a private drone intrudes into the fire area, it will require a pause in all air operations and impede firefighting progress, putting firefighters at greater risk.Smoke: Las Vegas area will see moderate smoke in the area today with periods of Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups (USG) when the winds increase out of the west early this morning switching to west-northwest in the afternoon. Mora and surrounding areas will see good to moderate air quality today with west winds. East Mora area to La Cueva will see heavy smoke at periods of the day. Rociada, Pendaries, Buena Vista, and Sapello will see unhealthy air quality conditions today as fire activity and winds increase. An interactive smoke map at https://fire.airnow.gov/ allows you to zoom into your area to see the latest smoke conditions.Future Fire Information: The Calf Canyon Fire and Hermit Peak Fire Information office hours are 8:00 AM – 8:00 PM. The phone number for fire information is 505-356-2636. The email address is 2022.calfcanyon@firenet.gov. Future fire information will continue to be posted on Inciweb, the SFNF Facebook and Twitter, SFNF website, and New Mexico Fire Information website
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