Hermits Peak and Calf Canyon Fires

By SFNF

With a Red Flag Warning from 2:00 PM to 8:00 PM, expect more active fire behavior today, including in unburned islands of fuel in the interior. In the North Zone, resources will continue work on fire line construction along the north and west perimeters, while also continuing work on the shaded fuel breaks.  In the South Zone, fire activity near Hollinger Canyon will be visible from I-25 but is within the containment lines. Resources assigned to Hermits Peak and Calf Canyon fires will continue to support the Midnight Fire on the Carson National Forest.

Operations:

North Zone (SWIMT1): Yesterday, firefighters continued to construct fire line to protect values at risk to the west and north in the event fire behavior increased in that area. As part of this construction, feller-bunchers are working to remove trees and masticators are chipping smaller diameter material creating a line that has significantly less fuel available in the event active fire moves into the area. Crews and heavy equipment continue operations on the shaded fuel break from Pot Creek near NM Highway 518 on the west to the private land boundary near Black Lake on NM Highway 434 and north to NM Highway 64. Today, suppression repair work will continue around Chacon, with firefighters working south down NM Highway 121 along the fire perimeter. Crews will also be working along and inside the northeast fire perimeter, repairing firelines and constructing water bars on steep slopes to minimize resource damage when monsoon rains arrive.

 

South Zone (SWIMT2): Record high temperatures and low relative humidity resulted in active fire behavior yesterday and will continue today. The fire spotted across the Rio Mora, but firefighters utilized air resources to slow the fire’s spread. It has not crossed any control lines. Favorable west to southwest winds will continue over the next few days, which should help the fire push back into itself. However, there will be increased fire activity, and firefighters will remain engaged in and around the Pecos Wilderness. The wildland fire module remains at Beatty’s Cabin to monitor the fire and act if necessary. Control lines are in place with miles of hose laid and primed with water should it be needed. Structure protection crews remain in place at the upper end of the NM Highway 63 corridor. On the west side, repair work has begun on the Skyline Trail to close miles of dozer lines. Chipping continues around Upper and Lower Colonias and Barillas Peak. In the Mineral Hills and San Geronimo area, crews are focused on suppression repair work, including reseeding, fixing fences, installing erosion control features, and closing dozer lines.

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: A Red Flag Warning has been issued for Sunday with very low relative humidity, gusty westerly winds and an unstable hot airmass bringing critical fire weather conditions to the fire area. Minimum relative humidity values will drop down into the single digits and low teens along with wind gusts up to 35 mph. An isolated dry thunderstorm can’t 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/.

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