Calf Canyon and Hermits Peak Fires
April 30, 2022, Daily Update, 09:00AM
Acres: 75,280 acresContainment: 32% Start Date: April 19, 2022Cause: Under investigationTotal personnel: 1020 Location: Located near Gallinas CanyonFuels: Mixed conifer Highlights: High wind speeds across the area caused rapid fire spread east toward Las Vegas and south across Gallinas Canyon yesterday. The wind-driven run exceeded predicted rates of spread, causing many changes in evacuation and road closure status. This dynamic situation will continue today, please watch for updates. Respect all closures and allow firefighting resources to work safely. Firefighter and public safety will continue to be the number one priority.Operations: The fire made a significant push eastward during the wind event yesterday. Outpacing predictive models, the rate of spread on the southern edge of the fire forced firefighters to pull back to defensible point protection around structures and other values at risk. Rapid fire spread resulted in quickly changing evacuation levels and road closures. There is no red flag warning in effect for today but temperatures and relative humidity will still make for a very active fire day, along with winds out of the south/southeast, moving the fire to the north/northwest. Two new operational divisions have been established on the east and southeast edges of the fire, and firefighting resources have been reallocated to divisions where the greatest threat to homes and other values exist, with the goal of holding the fire west of NM Highway 518 road and keeping it out of Ledoux in the north. A concentration on structure protection and reinforcing defensible lines will be the focus of the operational period today. Four scooper planes and eight helicopters will be conducting air operations on the fire as long as weather permits. Two additional scooper planes will be added to the aerial assault later today. Please remember that drones are still prohibited in the temporary flight restriction zone, outlined on the map. If drones enter the flight zone, firefighting aircraft are grounded.Evacuations: The San Miguel and Mora County Sheriffs ask that all residents within the fire area remain on high alert for changes to evacuation statuses and road closures. It is imperative to respect closures and follow evacuation orders. Failure to do so can pose additional risk to firefighters and the public Please follow San Miguel County and Mora County Sheriff’s Facebook pages for the latest updates at https://www.facebook.com/smcso.nm and https://www.facebook.com/moracountysheriffoffice. Weather: South to southwest winds 15-20 mph with gusts up to 30 mph are expected this afternoon, pushing fire to the north/northwest. Higher temperatures and lower relative humidity will increase fire activity across the area. There is another red flag warning in place tomorrow, May 1.Restrictions: The Santa Fe National Forest has issued a closure order and has implemented Stage II fire restrictions to protect public health and safety during fire operations on the Calf Canyon Fire. Full closure order and map are available at https://www.fs.usda.gov/main/santafe/home. The temporary flight restriction (TFR) in place over the area was expanded to include the Gallinas Canyon area. The TFR also covers unmanned aircraft, or drones. If a private drone intrudes into the fire area, it will require a pause in all air operations and impede firefighting progress, putting firefighters at greater risk.Smoke: Las Vegas area will see (USG) lingering smoke conditions in the morning, especially in low lying areas. Switching over to moderate conditions as south- southwest winds 10-15 mph clear out the area. Switching to west-southwest in the afternoon. This will produce more smoke in the area late evening as winds push smoke into the valley. Mora will have (USG) smoke in the area switching to moderate at times. East Mora area to La Cueva will see (USG) smoke at periods of the day. Fire activity around Rociada, Pendaries, Buena Vista, and Sapello today will create unhealthy air quality conditions as fire activity and winds increase. An interactive smoke map at https://fire.airnow.gov/ allows you to zoom into your area to see the latest smoke conditions. Future Fire Information: The Calf Canyon Fire and Hermit Peak Fire Information office hours are 8:00 AM – 8:00 PM. The phone number for fire information is 505-356-2636. The email address is 2022.calfcanyon@firenet.gov. Future fire information will continue to be posted on Inciweb, the SFNF Facebook and Twitter, SFNF website, and New Mexico Fire Information website.
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