Cooks Peak Fire Morning Update – 4/23/2022

Additional evacuations Ordered, another windy day expected
and wind direction shifting

Morning Update 4/23/2022

Acres: 48,672 (Infrared Flight last night)
Location: North of Ocate NM, approximately 46 miles north of Las Vegas, NM
Containment: 0%
Start Date: Sunday, April 17, 2022
Cause: Unknown, under investigation
Fuels: ponderosa pine, oak brush and grass

A strong cold front is moving across northern New Mexico, bringing gusty, erratic winds. A wind shift is expected on Saturday, so firefighters will continue to be challenged by active fire moving in multiple directions. New evacuations orders have been issued for Mora County: GO – Los LeFebres and Los Huerros, Set – Lucero and Los Cocas.

Current Evacuations For Mora and Colfax Counties:

Colfax County – GO- Miami, Sweetwater, Rayado, Philmont Scout Ranch, and Sunnyside. SET –Cimarron. Residents in Colfax County should sign up now for Code Red. This system notifies residents of evacuation status. For notifications, sign up on the Colfax County website: http://www.co.colfax.nm.us/government/emergency_management.php

Mora County – GO: Los LeFebres, Los Huerros, east of County Road 009 and north of NM Highway 120. SET: – Lucero and Los Cocas. Ready: west of County Road 009 and north of Highway 120.

Evacuation centers are set up at Old Memorial Middle School, 947 Old National Rd, Las Vegas; Colfax County Fairgrounds, 16 Airport Road, Springer; and the Raton Convention Center, 901 S. 3rd St, Raton.
The Mora and Colfax County Sheriff’s Offices are using the Ready! Set! Go! program for evacuation status that provides information on evacuation and evacuation preparation: Ready!: Be Ready! for potential evacuations. Set!: Be Set! to evacuate at a moment’s notice Go!: Evacuate now. Leave immediately. The Cooks Peak Fire is moving rapidly being driven by high winds. Evacuation status can change rapidly, and there may not be sufficient time to prepare to evacuate.

Livestock: Residents can evacuate livestock to the Colfax County Fairgrounds. If residents from Mora need a place for horses, the Taos Rodeo Grounds is available. Contact: Livestock Inspector Ruben Baca 505-770-1490.
Fire Update: Extreme fire behavior caused by gusty winds pushed fire approximately 4-5 miles to the north on Friday. Active fire behavior also was observed on the east, west, and southeast sides of the fire, causing it to move closer to Ocate. Firefighters have worked hard to protect structures and communities all around the fire. As of now, no structures have been reported lost, but assessments are still being made.

Weather: A Red Flag Warning has been issued again for Saturday for strong winds coming out of the west to northwest, which will push the fire to the east and southeast. Winds will reach up to 35 mph, which continues to raise concerns for firefighter and public safety.

Highway Closures: The Cooks Peak Fire has closed County Road 009 and a portion of NM120, from milepost 0 in Cimarron, to milepost 34, in Springer. NM 120 from milepost 14, west of Ocate to milepost 26, east of Naranjos is also closed. NM 442 from milepost 19, south of Ocate to milepost 21, at Ocate is also closed. Motorists are advised to delay travel or to seek alternate routes. Visit https://nmroads.com/mapIndex.html? for additional information.

Smoke: Smoke from the Cooks Peak and other fires in the area continue to impact the surrounding communities in Mora and Colfax Counties, including Ocate, Rayado, Philmont Scout Ranch headquarters, Cimarron. Smoke is also now moving north into Colorado. Watch for reduced visibility on I-25 due to smoke. An interactive smoke map can be found at https://fire.airnow.gov/ allows you to zoom into your area to see the latest smoke conditions.

More Information:

Inciweb: https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/8066/
New Mexico Fire information: https://nmfireinfo.com/ NEW Phone Line: 505-357-0683; Hours: 8 am – 8 pm
Media Phone Line: 505-445-8278
Email: 2022.cookspeak@firenet.gov