Hermits Peak and Calf Canyon Fires

By Press release submission

Jun 13, 2022

Acres: 317,920 | Containment: 65% | Total personnel: 2,920 | 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: Located near Gallinas Canyon | Fuels: Heavy mixed conifer, ponderosa pine, brush, and grass

Highlights: The fire burning in the Pecos Wilderness remains a high priority. In addition, mop-up, patrol, and suppression repair activities will continue to occur around the fire perimeter. Crews and heavy equipment will be working to repair dozer and hand line constructed during active suppression by breaking down dirt berms, naturalizing firelines and placing woody debris over the newly repaired lines to minimize erosion.

Operations:

North Zone (PNW2): Yesterday firefighters continued construction of contingency lines from the northwestern flank of the fire perimeter at Ripley Point west to Peñasco and down to Santa Barbara Road. Wildland Fire Modules have scouted routes to build fireline toward the Rio de las Truchas to tie into the Borrego Fire burn scar and South Zone operations. Fire managers have planned the construction of this contingency fireline to protect the communities of El Valle and Truchas. While these communities are still several miles from the fire area, fire managers will continue to find ways to protect values at risk until the fire is contained. Work continues today on the fuel break around Pot Creek, from NM Highway 518 to just east of Black Mesa. This is an approximately 300- feet-wide strategic fuel break southwest of Angel Fire to protect communities along NM Highway 64. Fuel breaks like this are constructed to help firefighters protect values at risk from fire activity in the area. Hotshot crews along the NM Highway 518 corridor up to Chacon will continue mop-up operations along the fire perimeter to achieve containment. On the eastern side of the fire perimeter south of Lucero, firefighters and heavy equipment will continue fire suppression work to repair and naturalize firelines constructed during active suppression.

South Zone (SWIMT2): Hundreds of firefighters are working along the NM Highway 63 corridor and in the Pecos Wilderness. The fire is most active around Spring Mountain, Bear Creek, and the Trampas Fire (2002) burn scar. Firefighters continue to prep and strengthen control lines from the Iron Gate Campground to Beatty’s Cabin. They have also laid several miles of hose along this section to pump and utilize water if necessary. From Beatty’s Cabin north, crews are working on handline to the divide where it will tie in with the North Zone. A control line is also being constructed from the Hamilton Mesa Trail east to the Trampas Fire burn scar just below the confluence of the Rio Valdez and Rio Mora. Highly coordinated, strategic firing operations will continue over several days to slow and stop fire spread. Around Upper and Lower Colonias and Bull Canyon, crews are identifying repair work to be done and have begun chipping operations. Suppression repair remains the focus on the south and east sides of the fire, where crews are chipping and spreading slash, closing dozer lines, reseeding, and putting in erosion control measures. Initial attack crews remain ready to address any new fire starts should they occur.

Evacuations: To view real-time evacuation information around the Hermits Peak and Calf Canyon Fires, visit: tinyurl.com/HermitsPeak for the evacuation map. The Ready, Set, Go evacuation guide is available in English and Spanish here: https://tinyurl.com/RSGNM

Weather: Continued warm and dry conditions are forecasted today with temperatures ranging from the mid-70s to low 80s with winds out of the west between 15-25 mph. The relative humidity is forecasted for 15-35% as we begin transitioning toward a possibility for thunderstorms mid-week.

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

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