April 11, 2022 Daily Update

Acres: 728 acres

Start Date:  April 6, 2022

Cause: Multiple spot fires spread beyond the prescribed fire project boundary

Containment: 10%

Total personnel: 178

Location: Approx. 12 miles northwest of Las Vegas, NM, Pecos/Las Vegas Ranger District, Hermits Peak/Pecos Wilderness

Fuels: Mixed conifer

Highlights: The Southwest Area Type 2 Incident Management Team 4, led by Incident Commander Aaron Hulburd, assumed command of the Hermits Peak Fire at 6:00 AM this morning, Monday, April 11, 2022. The Type 2 Incident Management Team brings additional resources and management capabilities to implement a full suppression strategy for the Hermits Peak Fire. A virtual community meeting will be livestreamed tonight at 8:00 PM at https://facebook.com/santafeNF/. Viewers are encouraged to submit their questions in advance to 2022.hermitspeak@firenet.gov.

Operations: As the Type 2 team takes command of the fire suppression efforts, firefighters will develop strategies to fully contain the fire while protecting the many valuable resources in the area, including multiple watersheds and nearby communities. Firefighters will be challenged by steep terrain and limited access, along with predicted high winds and dry conditions. A Red Flag Warning has been issued from noon until 9:00 PM today along with a High Wind Warning, potentially hampering the use of aircraft. Additional resources including engines, crews, and dozers have been ordered to assist with suppression efforts on all sides of the fire. Crews have been successful in limiting fire spread to the south and southwest to ensure protection for Beaver Creek and the Gallinas Municipal Watershed. Firefighters are working to identify containment options along existing roads on the eastern edge of the Santa Fe National Forest (SFNF) boundary and further north of the fire.

Evacuations: The San Miguel County Sheriff’s Office issued a voluntary evacuation for the communities of San Ignacio, Las Dispensas and Pendaries on Sunday, April 10. Residents are encouraged to be prepared and stay alert to changing fire conditions.

Weather: Highly erratic gusty winds will continue today with a few sprinkles from scattered showers. Winds are expected to turn back to the southeast Monday morning before shifting back to the west then southwest through the afternoon. Gusts up to 40 miles per hour are possible. Strong winds are expected to continue through Monday night followed by high winds again on Tuesday, bringing more critical fire weather.

Restrictions: The Santa Fe National Forest has issued a closure order to protect public health and safety during fire operations on the Hermits Peak Fire. The full closure order and map are available at https://www.fs.usda.gov/main/santafe/home. A temporary flight restriction (TFR) is in place over the area, which includes unmanned aircraft, or drones. More information on the dangers drones pose to wildland firefighting aircraft and personnel on the ground can be found at: www.nifc.gov/drones.  

Smoke: Smoke from the Hermits Peak Fire may be visible from Gallinas, El Porvenir, San Pablo, Mineral Hill, San Geronimo, Gascon, Pendaries, Rociada, Mora, Ledoux, Las Vegas, and along the I-25 corridor. Smoke-sensitive individuals and people with respiratory problems or heart disease are encouraged to take precautionary measures. An interactive smoke map at https://fire.airnow.gov/ allows you to zoom into your area to see the latest smoke conditions. More information on air quality and protecting your health can be found at the New Mexico Department of Health Environmental Public Health Tracking website: https://nmtracking.org/fire.

Fire updates will be posted on Inciweb, the SFNF Facebook and Twitter, SFNF website, and New Mexico Fire Information website.

Email: 2022.hermitspeak@firenet.gov •  Phone: (505) 663-6334 • Office Hours: 8:00 AM – 8:00 PM

LAS VEGAS, NM – April 10, 2022 – In coordination with the San Miguel County Sheriff’s Office, voluntary evacuations for the communities of San Ignacio, Las Dispensas and Pendaries have been put in place. Forecasted winds exceeding 60 mph have been predicted for today. Increasing winds each day through next week can cause holding concerns, drier weather is forecasted into next week and a RED FLAG WARNING is in effect for the fire area today until 8 pm. Leadership from Team 4, a Type 2 incident management team out of Arizona has arrived at the fire and will shadow the Northern NM Type 3 Team to take command of the fire on Monday April 11th. The Northern New Mexico Type 3 Incident Management Team will continue using full suppression strategy utilizing hand crews and assessing the best strategy to engage the fire during the high wind period. The Hermits Peak Fire is in steep, rugged, terrain with limited access by vehicle. Firefighters are working to keep the fire out of Beaver Creek and out of the Gallinas Municipal Watershed. Firefighters will continue to secure the fire’s edge as well as strengthen indirect fire line along the Forest boundary.

Start date:  April 06, 2022

Location:  Approximately 12 miles northwest of Las Vegas, NM, on the Pecos/Las Vegas Ranger District, at the base of Hermit Peak and extending into the Pecos Wilderness.

Cause:  Multiple spot fires that spread outside the boundary of a prescribed burn

Size:  540 acres                              Percent Contained:  10%

Resources:  4 hotshot crews, 1 Type 2 IA crew, 8 engines, 1 Type 1 helicopter, 1 Type 2 helicopter, 1 Type 3 helicopter, 1 Rapid Extraction Module, and 1 Tactical Water Tender. Personnel total is 163 firefighters.

Fire Behavior and Fuels:  The Hermits Peak Fire is actively burning in dense, overgrown mixed conifer.

Values at risk: Gallinas Municipal Watershed and private inholdings.

Smoke: Smoke from the Hermits Peak Fire may be visible from Gallinas, El Porvenir, San Pablo, Mineral Hill, San Geronimo, Gascon, Pendaries, Rociada, Mora, Ledoux, Las Vegas and along the I-25 corridor. Smoke-sensitive individuals and people with respiratory problems or heart disease are encouraged to take precautionary measures.

Safety: The health and safety of firefighters and the public are always the first priority. Information on air quality and protecting your health can be found online at the New Mexico Department of Health (NMDOH) Environmental Public Health Tracking (EPHT) website. The Forest Stewards Guild offers a HEPA Filter Loan Program that are available on a first come/first served basis. Additional information on air filters and the HEPA loan program is posted at http://www.santafefireshed.org/hepa-filter-loan-program#smokeanchor3.

A Temporary Flight Restriction (TFR) is in place over the fire. Unauthorized use of unmanned aircraft (also known as “drones”) in a fire area endangers the lives of pilots and firefighters and is strictly forbidden. Never fly unmanned aircraft over or near a wildfire whether there is a TFR (Temporary Flight Restriction) in effect or not. Visit https://www.nifc.gov/drones and Know Before You Go for more information on drones and wildfires.

Ready, Set, Go: Fire behavior can change at any time, as we have seen with the Hermits Peak Fire, requiring firefighters and residents to be on heightened alert to respond to these emergencies. The Ready, Set, Go! Program works in collaboration with New Mexico’s Living with Fire and other existing community wildland fire education efforts to help residents prepare for a wildfire emergency.  For more information on wildfire prevention and how you can prepare for wildfires, visit www.wildlandfirersg.org, and the Ready, Set, Go New Mexico or the New Mexico Fire Information website at https://nmfireinfo.com/.   
Fire updates will be posted on Inciweb, the New Mexico Fire Information website and on the Santa Fe National Forest Facebook and Twitter pages. For more information, contact the Hermits Peak Fire information line at 505-663-6334 from 9:00 am to 6:00 pm.

LAS VEGAS, NM – April 09, 2022 – The Northern New Mexico Incident Management Team will continue using full suppression strategy utilizing hand crews and directly engaging the fire with helicopter support. The Hermits Peak Fire is in steep, rugged, terrain with limited access by vehicle. Firefighters are working to keep the fire out of Beaver Creek and out of the Gallinas Municipal Watershed and are working to secure the fire’s edge before predicted less-than-favorable weather conditions arrive. Critical fire weather is predicted for the rest of the week, and a RED FLAG WARNING is in effect for the fire area today from 1:00 pm until 8:00 pm. We have corrected the location information of the fire, the fire is NOT in Gallinas Canyon, the fire is burning at the base of Hermit Peak and extending into the Pecos Wilderness. Team 4 a Type 2 team out of Arizona is en route to the fire. The Northern NM Type 3 Team will start transitioning command to Team 4 on Monday April 11th.   

Start date:  April 06, 2022 

Location:  Approximately 12 miles northwest of Las Vegas, NM, on the Pecos/Las Vegas Ranger District, at the base of Hermit Peak and extending into the Pecos Wilderness.

Cause:  Multiple spot fires that spread outside the boundary of a prescribed burn

Size:  350 acres                              Percent Contained:  0%

Resources:  4 hotshot crews, 1 Type 2 IA crew, 8 engines, 1 Type 1 helicopter, 1 Type 2 helicopter, 1 Type 3 helicopter, 1 Rapid Extraction Module, and 1 Tactical Water Tender.

Fire Behavior and Fuels:  The Hermits Peak Fire is actively burning in dense, overgrown mixed conifer.

Values at risk: Gallinas Municipal Watershed and private inholdings. There are currently no structures at risk.

Smoke: Smoke from the Hermits Peak Fire may be visible from Gallinas, El Porvenir, San Pablo, Mineral Hill, San Geronimo, Gascon, Pendaries, Rociada, Mora, Ledoux, Las Vegas and along the I-25 corridor. Smoke-sensitive individuals and people with respiratory problems or heart disease are encouraged to take precautionary measures.

Safety: The health and safety of firefighters and the public are always the first priority. Information on air quality and protecting your health can be found online at the New Mexico Department of Health (NMDOH) Environmental Public Health Tracking (EPHT) website. The Forest Stewards Guild offers a HEPA Filter Loan Program that are available on a first come/first served basis. Additional information on air filters and the HEPA loan program is posted at http://www.santafefireshed.org/hepa-filter-loan-program#smokeanchor3.
Fire updates will be posted on Inciweb, the New Mexico Fire Information website and on the Santa Fe National Forest Facebook and Twitter pages. For more information, contact the Hermits Peak Fire information line at 505-663-6334 from 9:00 am to 6:00 pm.

A Temporary Flight Restriction (TFR) is in place over the fire. Unauthorized use of unmanned aircraft (also known as “drones”) in a fire area endangers the lives of pilots and firefighters and is strictly forbidden. Never fly unmanned aircraft over or near a wildfire whether there is a TFR (Temporary Flight Restriction) in effect or not. Visit https://www.nifc.gov/drones and Know Before You Go for more information on drones and wildfires.   

Ready, Set, Go: Fire behavior can change at any time, as we have seen with the Hermits Peak Fire, requiring firefighters and residents to be on heightened alert to respond to these emergencies. The Ready, Set, Go! Program works in collaboration with New Mexico’s Living with Fire and other existing community wildland fire education efforts to help residents prepare for a wildfire emergency.  For more information on wildfire prevention and how you can prepare for wildfires, visit www.wildlandfirersg.org, and the Ready, Set, Go New Mexico or the New Mexico Fire Information website at https://nmfireinfo.com/.

 LAS VEGAS, NM – April 08, 2022 – The Northern New Mexico Type 3 Incident Management Team assumed command of the Hermits Peak Fire at 6:00 am April 8. The Hermits Peak Fire started on Wednesday April 6 when unexpected winds caused the Las Dispensas prescribed burn to produce multiple spot fires. Fire managers on the Pecos/Las Vegas Ranger District declared the prescribed burn a wildfire and implemented a full suppression strategy. There is a temporary flight restriction (TFR) in place for the fire area, and a public closure order has been implemented to protect public health and safety during fire operations. The incident management team will continue the full suppression strategy utilizing hand crews and going direct with helicopter support.

SANTA FE, NM – April 8, 2022 – The Santa Fe National Forest (SFNF) has issued a closure order to protect public health and safety during fire operations on the Hermits Peak Fire. The order is effective from now until Dec. 31, 2022, unless rescinded earlier.

The Hermits Peak Fire started on April 6 after multiple spot fires spread outside the boundary of the Las Dispensas prescribed burn on the Pecos/Las Vegas Ranger District. The Northern New Mexico Type 3 Incident Management Team assumed command of the Hermits Peak Fire today. Updates on fire operations are posted on the SFNF website, www.nmfireinfo.com and Inciweb.

The closure order prohibits members of the public from entering the restricted area, including all Forest Service lands and trails within an area roughly defined by Forest Road (FR) 263 at the eastern forest boundary, continuing westward to the intersection of FR 263 and FR 263B, then following FR 263B north to Blue Bell Ridge Trail 212, continuing on Trail 212 northward to Blue Bell Trail 10, then following Trail 10 to the junction with Beaver Creek Trail 247, taking a small westward jog to the intersection with Lone Pine Mesa Trail 214, then following Trail 214 east to the Lone Pine Trailhead at the Pecos Wilderness boundary and following the wilderness boundary eastward to the SFNF boundary, then following the forest boundary south to the starting point at FR 263.

Fire behavior can be unpredictable, and fire managers are asking the public to exercise caution and steer clear of all areas that could be impacted by the Hermits Peak Fire.

 SANTA FE, NM – April 7, 2022 – The Hermits Peak Fire is burning in rocky, steep terrain in a remote southeastern corner of the Santa Fe National Forest (SFNF). There is a temporary flight restriction (TFR) in place for the fire area, and a public closure order will be implemented soon to protect public health and safety during fire operations.

 SANTA FE, NM – April 6, 2022 – The Las Dispensas prescribed fire on the Pecos/Las Vegas Ranger District of the Santa Fe National Forest (SFNF) was declared a wildfire at approximately 4:30 p.m. today. Although forecasted weather conditions were within parameters for the prescribed burn, unexpected erratic winds in the late afternoon caused multiple spot fires that spread outside the project boundary. 

Named the Hermits Peak Fire, the wildfire is approximately 12 miles northwest of Las Vegas and is estimated at 100+ acres. Fire managers have called in additional resources, including a Type 3 incident management team, very large air tanker (VLAT) and lead plane, two hotshot crews and two additional engines.  

The Hermits Peak Fire is burning in mixed conifer in steep, rugged terrain. Due to the remote location of the fire and the rugged terrain, the strategy will be full suppression. The Hermits Peak Fire is moving toward the Pecos Wilderness. At this time, there are no direct threats to private property. 

Spot weather for tomorrow is forecast to be sunny with a high of 56 degrees and winds out of the northwest at 5 to 15  miles per hour. Smoke from the Hermits Peak Fire may be visible from Gallinas, El Porvenir, San Pablo, Mineral Hill, San Geronimo, Gascon, Pendaries, Las Vegas and along the I-25 corridor. Smoke-sensitive individuals and people with respiratory problems or heart disease are encouraged to take precautionary measures. Information on air quality and protecting your health can be found online at the New Mexico Department of Health (NMDOH) Environmental Public Health Tracking (EPHT) website. The Forest Stewards Guild offers a HEPA Filter Loan Program that are available on a first come/first served basis. Additional information on air filters and the HEPA loan program is posted at http://www.santafefireshed.org/hepa-filter-loan-program#smokeanchor3. 

Fire updates will be posted on Inciweb, the New Mexico Fire Information website and on the Santa Fe National Forest’s Facebook and Twitter pages. For more information, contact the Las Vegas Ranger Station at 505-425-3534 or the Pecos Ranger Station at 505-757-6121.

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Date: April 5, 2022
Contact: Tom VandenBerg, 432-477-1107
Contact: Heather Rickleff, 317-508-2932

BIG BEND NATIONAL PARK, TEXAS – On April 6th and 7th, Big Bend National Park staff plan to initiate a 43-acre prescribed burn along the Rio Grande. Fire managers will be using prescribed fire as a natural resource habitat treatment to control exotic giant cane. The project area is located along the River Corridor from Daniel’s Ranch to the Rio Grande Village Nature Trail. During this time, visitors will encounter temporary closures at the Daniel's Ranch area, the Rio Grande Village Nature Trail, and the Rio Grande Village Boat Launch. 

The National Park Service uses prescribed fires to manage vegetation, reduce fuels, and restore more natural ecosystems. This fire is specifically planned to reduce stands of non-native river cane, restore willow habitat, and open up banks of the river for recreational use. This dense fuel source, if ignited, also threatens nearby Daniel’s Ranch historic buildings. Over the decades, the Rio Grande has become increasingly channelized, as invasive river cane forms dense thickets and traps sediment. With the removal of this cane, the river can carry the sediment downstream, opening up gravel bars and wider flood plains again. These in turn are beneficial to wildlife such as mussels, fish, and beaver, and provide camp sites for river users. Resource staff will follow the burn with an herbicide application to the river cane.

The burn will be conducted by park staff, Yellowstone fire fighters, and the Los Diablos fire crew. “We are fortunate to have 30 years of loyal service from our neighbors across the Rio in Boquillas, San Vicente, and Santa Elena supporting our efforts,” said the park’s Fire Management Officer D.W. Ivans. “We are also taking advantage of optimal weather conditions and the existing RGV campground closure to conduct this important prescribed fire.”

Park visitors should drive cautiously as there may be more traffic due to operations associated with the prescribed fire, high spring visitation, and areas of road resurfacing. Please follow the speed limit. Visitors are encouraged to check park alerts and conditions at www.nps.gov/bibe/planyourvisit/conditions.htm.

Adrian Fire Update

April 2, 2022
8:00 pm 
 
Size: 530 acres
Containment: 80%
Road Closures and Evacuations: None at this time

The Adrian Fire showed very little activity today, all containment lines were completed around the fire, crews worked to patrol and mop up hot spots, additionally a type 1 helicopter continued to make drops on hot spots as well. Two TIFMAS strike teams will continue to patrol and mop up hot spots through the night and into the morning taking shifts. Crews will assess if further action is needed on the Adrian fire in the morning.