April 19, 2022 
The Cooks Peak Fire, located on private land north of Ocate in Mora County, has significantly increased in activity today (04/19) due to strong winds. Warmer temperatures and lower relative humidity are also fueling activity, especially at the head of the fire on the south flank. The fire is currently moving north toward the Colfax County line where four communities have been placed in Ready status according to the Ready, Set, Go! program. This means residents must be ready to leave if local authorities need to evacuate. Air resources are unable to fly safely at this time due to the erratic winds over the fire. Firefighting aircraft will resume flights with water and fire retardant drops once it is safe to do so. The Northern New Mexico Type 3 Incident Management Team took over operations from the Forestry Division and local resources this morning. This will bring additional personnel on board to fight the Cooks Peak Fire. Right now there are more than 130 people working on this fire.
- The fire is growing in size and new acreage estimates are pending. The current numbers are 2,209 acres and 0% containment until new maps are available.
- A Red Flag warning is in effect until 9:00 p.m. Smoke from the Cooks Peak Fire will continue to impact the surrounding communities, especially in northeast New Mexico. This includes Ocate, Rayado, Philmont Scout Ranch headquarters, Cimarron, and surrounding communities in Mora County and Colfax County. The New Mexico Department of Health and New Mexico Environment Department will issue Smoke Advisories as needed. An interactive smoke map at https://fire.airnow.gov/ allows you to zoom into your area to see the latest smoke conditions.
- The Mora County Sheriff’s Office and Colfax County are using the Ready, Set, Go! program for evacuation status. The Colfax County communities of Sweet Water, Rayado, Sunny Side, and Miami are currently under Ready status. This means residents must be prepared to leave immediately if a full evacuation is necessary.
- Additional information can be found on the Mora County Sheriff’s Office Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/moracountysheriffoffice. Deputies will conduct regular patrols all roads surrounding the fire. Residents are urged to obey all traffic signage and closures that could change at any time.
Evacuation Centers: Memorial Middle School in Las Vegas, Wagon Mound Public Schools, and Mora Schools are available for evacuees if needed.
Livestock: The American Legion Pavilion is available for evacuated horses and livestock at 268 State Highway 434 in Mora. The State Land Office is also offering a pasture for large animals displaced by the fire. Contact Livestock Inspector, Matthew Romero at 575-643-6805 for more information.
Closures: County CR009 remains closed.
Smoke: Individuals sensitive to wildfire smoke should take precautions and use the New Mexico Department of Health 5-3-1 Visibility Method to determine if it’s safe to be outside. Learn more at
https://nmtracking.org/environment/air/FireAndSmoke.html. The New Mexico Department of Health and New Mexico Environment Department will issue Smoke Advisories as needed. An interactive smoke map at https://fire.airnow.gov/ allows you to zoom into your area to see the latest smoke conditions.
Fire information will be posted to the following websites.
NM Fire Info: www.nmfireinfo.com
InciWeb: https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/8061/
Incident Name: Cooks Peak
Start Date & Time: 4/17/22 @ 1615
Start Location: Ocate off of HWY 120 Canada Bonita
Latitude: 36.24352
Longitude: -105.03793
Cause of Fire: Under investigation
Area Vegetation: Grass, pinon, juniper, ponderosa pine, and mixed conifer
Estimated Acres Burned: 2,209 – fire is active and a new estimate is pending
Ownership(s): Private
Structures Threatened: Yes
Structures Burned: No
Evacuations: Yes, County Road C009
Wendy Mason
Wildfire Prevention & Communications Coordinator
Energy, Minerals & Natural Resources Dept. (EMNRD)
Forestry Division
wendy.mason@state.nm.us
NM Fire Info 
Comments are closed.