Calf Canyon and Hermits Peak Fires

April 28, 2022, Daily Update, 09:00AM

Highlights: Unpredictable winds developing from thunderstorms moving through the area contributed to an increase in fire activity overnight, challenging established lines and grounding aircraft. Firefighters continue to focus on structure protection measures across the fire area. Loss and damage assessments continue. Powerlines to some areas around the fire perimeter have been restored, more lines will be energized as soon as it is determined safe to do so. Evacuation and road closure status continues to change, please watch for updates. Please respect all closures and allow firefighting resources to work safely. Firefighter and public safety will continue to be the number one priority.

Operations: Gusty and unpredictable winds from storm cells moving through the area yesterday led to an increase in fire activity overnight. Firefighters worked through the night shift to limit fire growth and prepare structures ahead of the most active fire near Ledoux. Structure protection across the fire will be a focus for firefighters today, in anticipation of rising temperatures and increasing wind speeds that are expected to challenge fire lines in the next two days. There are two structure groups assigned to the fire, one group focused on the north part of the fire and one on the south. These groups are comprised of engines, heavy equipment and crews that utilize a variety of methods to protect structures within the fire area, including the deployment of sprinklers, construction of line around buildings, and removing flammable materials from immediate proximity of homes. Aerial resources continue to deliver water to support firefighting efforts around the fire and will be in the air until wind conditions make it unsafe to fly. Nine helicopters assigned to the fire will focus their water drops on the northern edge of the fire while the four scooper planes will continue dropping water along the southwest corner of the fire.

Evacuations: Evacuation levels and road closures determined by the San Miguel County Sheriff’s Office and Mora County Sheriff’s Office remain in place today but may change rapidly. Please follow San Miguel County and Mora County Sheriff’s Facebook pages for the latest updates at https://www.facebook.com/smcso.nm and https://www.facebook.com/moracountysheriffoffice.

 Weather: A red flag warning is in place beginning today at 1:00 PM until 8:00 tonight. Sustained winds of 20-25 MPH are expected, with gusts up to 35 MPH. Poor relative humidity recovery overnight combined with rising temperatures and strong winds will challenge established fire lines and hamper firefighting efforts in the air and on the ground. A red flag warning is also in place for tomorrow, Friday, April 29, with sustained winds of 20-30 MPH and gusts up to 45 MPH.

Restrictions: The Santa Fe National Forest has issued a closure order and has implemented Stage II fire restrictions to protect public health and safety during fire operations on the Calf Canyon Fire. Full closure order and map are available at https://www.fs.usda.gov/main/santafe/home. The temporary flight restriction (TFR) in place over the area was expanded to include the Gallinas Canyon area. The TFR also covers unmanned aircraft, or drones. If a private drone intrudes into the fire area, it will require a pause in all air operations and impede firefighting progress, putting firefighters at greater risk.

Smoke: Mora and surrounding areas will continue to see periods of moderate, unhealthy for sensitive groups (USG) and unhealthy air quality today. Fire activity around Rociada, Pendaries, and Sapello continue today producing unhealthy air quality conditions as temperatures rise and winds increase. Air quality in the area will be moderate to USG in areas. Drive carefully and turn on your headlights for safety. 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 Calf Canyon Fire and Hermit Peak Fire Information office hours are 8:00 AM – 8:00 PM.  The phone number for fire information is 505-356-2636. The email address is 2022.calfcanyon@firenet.gov. Future fire information will continue to be posted on Inciweb, the SFNF Facebook and Twitter, SFNF website, and New Mexico Fire Information website.