Single Publication

Firefighters are mending fences, roads, and relationships

July 20, 2022 – Hermits Peak and Calf Canyon Fire Update

Acres: 341,735| Containment: 93% | Total personnel: 667|
Start Date: Hermits Peak: April 6, 2022; Calf Canyon: April 19, 2022 | Cause: Hermits Peak: Spot fires from prescribed burn; Calf Canyon: Holdover fire from prescribed pile burn | Location: 12 miles NW of Las Vegas, NM | Fuels: Heavy mixed conifer, ponderosa pine, brush, and grass

Highlights: Working hand in hand with private landowners, fire crews are fixing fences, repairing roads, seeding, chipping, and removing vegetation with great perseverance and fortitude. A break in the weather over the past two days has allowed firefighters to move further into the fire perimeter and make progress in areas previously impacted by the rain. 

Operations: Firefighters continue to spread native seeds and repair cut fences in Gallinas Canyon along Forest Road 65. Heavy equipment operators are using graders to improve Forest Road 83 heading north, while other crews are repairing fences in this area as well. Additional heavy equipment has been ordered to aid in dozer line repairs near Apache Canyon. Crews are persistently working on the Hamilton Mesa Trail to remove visual evidence of suppression activities in the Pecos Wilderness. Firefighters are chipping, lopping, and scattering vegetation near Elk Mountain to help naturalize the area. Near Grass Mountain, crews are scouting to form a plan to bring heavy equipment into this area. Firefighters are moving north from Martinez Pond, completing fence repairs and chipping vegetation. Crews are diligently working along the Pot Creek corridor and getting closer to completion for the upcoming hauling operation. Firefighters are repairing the dozer line near Sardinas Canyon with plans to move around to the northeast side to complete these repairs. Firefighters are also assessing the area near Angel Fire to determine what work remains. A grader working along Highway 120 is repairing the northeast dozer line. Field Observers are scouting and collecting information from personal observations across the fire area and providing this information back to fire managers. Crews and heavy equipment continue to work with private landowners in Ledoux and Chacon as more repair requests are received.

Closures and Restrictions: Area closures remain in effect for both the Santa Fe and Carson National Forests. These closures are in place for ongoing wildfire suppression repair operations, and to protect public health and safety in the event of debris flow and flash flooding. The wildfire suppression repair operations include, but are not limited to, road repair and stabilization, heavy equipment use, and fire line repair efforts. For the latest information about the Hermits Peak and Calf Canyon Fires closure orders for both the Santa Fe and Carson National Forests, please see the links to each forest’s website below. Information related to fire restrictions across public and private land can be found at: https://nmfireinfo.com/fire-restrictions/.

Weather: Clouds will increase this afternoon after a mostly clear morning. A few showers and thunderstorms will develop around midday and become more numerous through the afternoon. Lightning, heavy rain, small hail, and localized flooding are the primary hazards associated with these storms. High temperatures will range from the upper 60s in the higher terrain to the upper 80s in the lowest valleys. Scattered thunderstorms will be possible again on Thursday with similar temperature trends.

Fire Flooding and Recovery Resources: Disaster Assistance Resources: https://www.nmdhsem.org/2022-wildfires/| After Wildfire New Mexico Guide: https://www.afterwildfirenm.org/| Hermits Peak and Calf Canyon Fires Burned Area Emergency Response: https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/8104/

For questions or concerns related to flooding, please call the New Mexico State Emergency Operations Center at 1-800-432-2080. For federal disaster assistance, please call the FEMA Helpline at 1-800-621-3362.

Private Land Suppression Repair Survey (English and Spanish): https://www.tinyurl.com/suppressionrepair

Fire Information: Office Hours: 8:00 AM – 8:00 PM | Phone: 505-356-2636| Email: 2022.hermitspeak@firenet.gov

Online Fire Information Resources: inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/8069/ | https://www.facebook.com/santafeNF/| nmfireinfo.com |Santa Fe National Forest Twitter | tinyurl.com/HermitsYouTube | Santa Fe National Forest | Carson National Forest