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Cooks Peak
Unit Information
Agency Name: New Mexico State Forestry
Incident Contacts
- Cooks Peak Fire InformationEmail:Phone:505-357-0683Hours:Daily, 8a - 5p
Cooks Peak Morning Update for April 25, 2022
Cooks Peak
Publication Type: News -
Cooks Peak Fire community meeting scheduled for 7 p.m. tonight
Fire behavior will moderate today with arrival of snow, but remains active
Morning Update 4/25/2022
Acres: 51,982 acres
Location: North of Ocate NM, approximately 46 miles north of Las Vegas, NM
Containment: 9%
Start Date: Sunday, April 17, 2022
Cause: Unknown, under investigation
Fuels: ponderosa pine, oak brush and grass
Announcement: The Southwest Area Incident Management Team will host a community meeting on Monday, April 25, 2022, at 7 p.m. to provide updates on the Cooks Peak Fire. The meeting will be held in the Wagon Mound High School Gym at 300 Park Ave., in Wagon Mound. Interested attendees can participate in-person or virtually, via Cooks Peak Fire Facebook Livestream at https://www.facebook.com/CooksPeakFireInfo/.
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 behavior is expected to moderate today with the arrival of colder temperatures, rain and snow. This change in weather should provide an opportunity for crews to gain ground on the fire, but fire behavior will remain active, especially where topography and drought stressed fuels align. Ground crews will continue working hard to secure the northern perimeter, where weather, topography and fire behavior made firefighting especially difficult in previous days. Firing operations will be conducted on the east side from Aguate Canyon to Apache Mesa, if weather allows, which may increase smoke. Crews will continue to secure and hold the fire perimeter. Structural assessments are still underway, and crews will continue to identify any structures impacted by the fire. A temporary flight restriction (TFR) remains in place over the fire area.
The Incident Management Team continues to work closely with the local unit, stakeholders and fire behavior, and mapping specialists to determine the best firefighting tactics and response for the important values in an around the fires area. This assists administrators in determining primary, alternate contingency and emergency firelines to ensure a coordinated response to changing conditions.
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.
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/