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Additional crews arrive to bolster suppression repair efforts

July 18, 2022 – Hermits Peak and Calf Canyon Fire Update

 Acres: 341,735| Containment: 93% | Total personnel: 656| 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: Firefighters are taking great pride in helping the private landowners with their suppression repair needs. As additional requests are received, crews continue to respond wherever needs are identified. Over the weekend, 8 crews, 3 Type 6 engines, and heavy equipment arrived to support and strengthen fire suppression repair efforts. 

Operations: Weekend rains temporarily delayed suppression efforts, but crews persevered and continued to complete work in areas where the weather was more favorable. Crews are removing cut logs in the Gallinas drainage to help prevent debris from moving downstream. Task Force Leaders specifically assigned to lead crews in suppression repair are scouting for dozer lines and fence work around the fire area. Firefighters completed dozer line repairs west of El Barros Peaks, along with hand and dozer lines surrounding Barillas Lookout Tower. Near Barillas Peak, crews are working with an excavator to repair fire lines on Forest Road 220. Resource Advisors are assessing the fire suppression repairs along Hamilton Mesa Trail to determine if the repairs meet wilderness standards and if additional work needs to be completed. Crews are using three dozers in the Grassy Mountain area to repair dozer lines while also using a skidder to move logs. Crews are working on Forest Road B032 south of Martinez Pond, which is anticipated to take 6 to 8 days to complete. Firefighters also scouted the area around Lonesome Dove Ranch to assess their suppression repair needs. In Chacon, crews are using bulldozers to remove berms, excavators to construct water bars to prevent erosion, skidders to remove logs, and chippers to cut and scatter branches and limbs into small wood pieces.

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: Conditions will be mostly sunny this morning, becoming partly cloudy in the afternoon with scattered showers and thunderstorms. The main hazards associated with any storm include lightning, locally heavy rainfall, and the potential for flooding. Temperatures today will be warm in the valleys with highs mainly in the upper 80s and lower 90s. Most of the higher elevations will see highs in the 70s. Scattered to numerous showers and storms are expected through the week with the highest chances on Wednesday and Thursday.

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/

For questions or concerns related to flooding, please call the New Mexico State Emergency Operations Center at 1-800-432-2080. For federal disaster assistance, please call the FEMA Helpline at 1-800-621-3362.

Private Land Suppression Repair Survey (English and Spanish): 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/santafeNF/| nmfireinfo.com |Santa Fe National Forest Twitter | tinyurl.com/HermitsYouTube | Santa Fe National Forest | Carson National Forest