Hermits Peak/Calf Canyon blaze now at 270,000 acres and still moving
May 13—The Hermits Peak/Calf Canyon Fire continues to march toward 300,000 acres of scorched New Mexico earth, and its size and complexity is prompting Forest Service officials to alter how they will battle the blaze.
With more than 1,800 people already on the ground, the Forest Service said it would split the fire zones in half, with a Type 1 team from California arriving to begin efforts farther north than the blaze's current boundaries.
Incident commander Dave Bales said part of the firefighting effort would be based in Taos to handle the northern side of the fire.
"That's just a large landscape on the ground," Bales said Friday. "Moving folks from north to south, it's a logistical challenge to support those folks — feed them, taking care of them ... really a challenge to manage that landscape."
Bales said the nexus of the firefighting effort is moving north as areas around Las Vegas become more manageable. He said teams were in Black Lake and near Angel Fire.
Though winds are expected to be lighter on Friday, operations section chief Todd Abel said conditions are primed for what he called a "plume-dominated fire" — billowing clouds of smoke that can be seen for many miles.
"That's a challenge for our firefighters," he said, noting that such fires can prove dangerous for those on the ground in all directions.
According to a news release Friday, the fire is at 270,000 acres and continues to push north into Taos County near the village of Angostura and threatening the Mora County village of Chacon. But the concerns aren't just in the north: according to a news release, officials warned areas in the Pecos Wilderness could see more activity, with the fire moving toward Lone Pine Mesa, Blue Bell Ridge and near Enchantment Lake.
Containment is at 29 percent.
The picture looks better on the southern end of the fire, where lines near Mineral Hill and San Geronimo appear to have stabilized, officials said.
Meanwhile, state Environment Department officials announced they were providing drinking water for customers who are served by water systems that are under a precautionary advisory.
In San Miguel County, people needing free and safe drinking water can go to Mike Mateo Sena Elementary School, 12 County Road A-1, Sapello, from 9-11 a.m.
In Mora County: water will be provided at the Mora County Courthouse Parking Lot, 1 Court House Dr., in Mora, from 1-3 p.m.
The Cerro Pelado Fire in the Jemez Mountains southwest of Los Alamos is at 45,394 acres and is 19 percent contained. But fire behavior analyst Robert Burnside said that while crews had a good Thursday, there remain some troublesome areas in the fire — both on the northeast and southwest areas.
Of particular interest is the southwest side of the fire, where crews cannot rely on help from the Las Conchas burn scar.
"The opportunity is still out there ... our probability of ignition is 100 percent," he said in a briefing Friday. "Any spots we get, if they land in a receptive fuel bed, that is going to start a new fire. That is gonna start to grow."
This is a developing story and will be updated.
