Skip to main content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Here's how you know

Single Publication

Settings - change map background and toggle additional layers
Filter - control incident types displayed on map.
Zoom to your location
Reset map zoom and position

Could not determine your location.

  • wildfire Wildfire
  • prescribed fire Prescribed Fire
  • burned area emergency response Burned Area Response
  • other type Other

Cooks Peak

Share this incident
Facebook Twitter Email

Unit Information

Las Vegas District 
HC 33 Box 109 #4 Las Vegas New Mexico 87701 
Storrie Lake State Park 
Las Vegas, 
New Mexico 
87701 
Las Vegas District 
HC 33 Box 109 #4 Las Vegas New Mexico 87701 
Storrie Lake State Park 
Las Vegas, 
New Mexico 
87701 

Incident Contacts

Cooks Peak Fire Morning Update for April 26, 2022

Cooks Peak
Publication Type: News -

Firefighters continue to make progress with containment

Fire behavior will moderate today with arrival of snow, but remains active

Morning Update 4/26/2022

Acres: 54,021 acres 
Location: North of Ocate NM, approximately 46 miles north of Las Vegas, NM
Containment: 18%
Start Date: Sunday, April 17, 2022
Cause: Unknown, under investigation
Fuels: ponderosa pine, oak brush and grass


Current Evacuations for Mora and Colfax Counties:  Colfax County - GO- Sweetwater, Rayado, and Sunnyside – remain evacuated. SET – Philmont Scout Ranch and Miami. Ready: Cimarron and Angel Fire. Residents in Colfax County should sign up now for Code Red. This system notifies residents of evacuation status. For notifications, sign up on the Colfax County website: http://www.co.colfax.nm.us/government/emergency_management.php  
Mora County – GO:  Los LeFebres and Los Huerros, residents east of County Road 009 and north of NM Highway 120. Ready:  Lucero and Los Cocas, residents west of County Road 009 and north of Highway 120. The Mora and Colfax County Sheriff’s Offices are using the Ready! Set! Go! program for evacuation status that provides information on evacuation and evacuation preparation. 
Evacuation center is set up at Old Memorial Middle School, 947 Old National Rd, Las Vegas; and Colfax County Fairgrounds, 16 Airport Road, Springer.
 
Livestock: Residents can evacuate livestock to the Colfax County Fairgrounds. If residents from Mora need a place for horses, the Taos Rodeo Grounds is available.  Contact: Livestock Inspector Ruben Baca 505-770-1490.   
 
Fire Update: Rain and 1-4 inches of accumulated snow fell across the fire early Monday morning. This moisture decreased fire intensity allowing fire crews to build direct line directly at the fire’s edge. On the eastern side of the fire, firefighters also engaged in mop-up and cold trailing operations. This involves finding heat along the fires perimeter and cooling or extinguishing it. Fuel concentrations and rugged topography on the forested west side continued to smolder and burn. Hotshot hand crews worked in this area building hand line to stop advancement of the fire. 
 Although Monday’s moisture provided favorable conditions for fighting fire, winds and drying conditions are predicted for the next several days. As wind increases and fuels dry, fire behavior increases in intensity. So although the moisture brought some relief, drought stricken fuels and high winds will again challenge firefighters. Today crews will continue direct hand line construction along the west and northwest areas of the fire. These hotshot crews will camp out to maximize their efficiency and effectiveness. Engine crews working the eastern flank of the burned area will continue with mop-up and cold trailing along previously built dozer lines. If conditions allow, unburned fuels will be ignited south of Sweetwater and west of County Road 21 to strengthen containment lines where rugged topography presents challenges. Some suppression repair will begin northeast of Naranjos where the fire is contained. 

On the ground tactics must vary with fuels and conditions. Every effort is being made to keep this fire footprint as small as possible. With yesterday’s moisture, “there is not a lot of heat established right now, it is a good day to go direct”, said Arthur Gonzalez, Fire Behavior Analyst with Southwest Incident Management Team 5. 

Weather: Sunday featured moderate fire weather conditions, due to cooler temperatures, lighter winds, and more clouds over the Cooks Peak Fire. Last night, a cold front pushed in from the north, bringing rain and higher elevation snow showers. Snow accumulations range from 1-4 inches for the fire area. Winds remain relatively light through the day, shifting from easterly to southerly through the afternoon.  
 
Highway Closures: The Cooks Peak Fire closed a portion NM120, from mile marker 14, three miles west of Ocate to mile marker 26, five miles east of Naranjos and at the junction of highway 442 and 120.  NM21 is also closed from mile marker 0 in Cimarron to mile marker 34 in Springer. Motorists are advised to delay travel or to seek alternate routes. Visit https://nmroads.com/mapIndex.html for additional information.
 
Smoke: The cooler air mass pressing in from the north and east through Monday morning will result in broad improvements for the I-25 corridor and areas north/east of NM 21. Gusty southerly winds will quickly return to the area by Tuesday. Residents are encouraged to stay informed of potential changes by visiting the interactive smoke map at https://fire.airnow.gov/, which allows you to zoom into your area to see the latest smoke conditions.
 

More Information:

Inciweb: https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/8066/

New Mexico Fire information: https://nmfireinfo.com/

Smoke Outlook: https://outlooks.wildlandfiresmoke.net/outlook/b335b9f4

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CooksPeakFireInfo/ 
 

Information on Calf Canyon Fire:

Phone: 505-356-2636, phone answered from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Inciweb:  https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/8069
Related Information:
Attachment Size
pict20220326-113150-0.pdf (159.09 KB) 159.09 KB
Return to top