Progress Continues on Hermits Peak Fire

April 17, 2022 Daily Update

Highlights: Fire activity moderated along the northern edge of the fire perimeter Friday and Saturday. Firefighters continue to reinforce the fireline in the northeast and along the perimeter’s edge. Fire activity around most of the perimeter remains low, but with dry fuels and strong winds firefighters are maintaining readiness and will continue to suppress hotspots throughout the area. Updates are available throughout the day at the Santa Fe National Forest Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/santafeNF/

Operations: Since Friday, firefighters have continued to patrol the perimeter to ensure that the fire stays within the current footprint. Though fire activity has moderated due to suppression efforts from firefighters over the last week, the wind and weather conditions that support extreme fire behavior persist. Fire crews are taking every precaution with structure protection operations from San Ignacio to Lone Pine Mesa. Aircraft will continue to take advantage of breaks in the wind intensity to fly in support of suppression efforts. Firefighter and public safety remain our number one priority. All resources are focused on suppressing the Hermits Peak Fire as quickly and safely as possible and protecting nearby communities.

Evacuations: The San Miguel County Sheriff’s Office continues to lift several evacuation orders using the Ready, Set, Go! system. More information and details on evacuation orders will be made available on the San Miguel County Sheriff’s Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/smcso.nm. San Ignacio, County Road A3A, Canoncito and Pendaries Village are still in GO, mandatory evacuation status.

Weather: A Red Flag Warning remains in effect over the fire area for the 9th consecutive day. Warmer temperatures are expected, and winds are expected to be sustained 30-40 mph. Relative humidity will remain in the single digits, with very little recovery overnight. 

Restrictions: The Santa Fe National Forest has issued a closure order to protect public health and safety during fire operations on the Hermits Peak Fire. The full closure order and map are available at https://www.fs.usda.gov/main/santafe/home. A temporary flight restriction (TFR) is in place over the area, which includes unmanned aircraft, or drones. More information on the dangers drones pose to wildland firefighting aircraft and personnel on the ground can be found at: www.nifc.gov/drones. 

Smoke: Smoke from the Hermits Peak Fire may be visible from Gallinas, El Porvenir, San Pablo, Mineral Hill, San Geronimo, Gascon, Pendaries, Rociada, Mora, Ledoux, Las Vegas, and along the I-25 corridor. Smoke-sensitive individuals and people with respiratory problems or heart disease are encouraged to take precautionary measures. 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 Hermits Peak Fire Information office hours (8:00 AM – 8:00 PM), phone number (505-663-6334), and email address (2022.hermitspeak@firenet.gov) will remain the same after the transition to the Type 1 Team. Future fire information will continue to be posted on Inciweb the SFNF Facebook and Twitter, SFNF website, and New Mexico Fire Information website.