New wave of evacuations in Hermits Peak/Calf Canyon Fire
May 22—After overnight winds pushed fingers of flames on the southwestern edge of the Hermits Peak/Calf Canyon Fire closer to Pecos Canyon — and with similar conditions in the forecast Saturday night — officials ordered new evacuations along N.M. 63, from Monastery Lake to the road's northernmost communities.
The village of Pecos is now on a "set" status, meaning residents must be prepared to leave at any time.
San Miguel County Sheriff Chris Lopez said in an evening briefing Saturday more than 800 homes in the area are on evacuation orders, largely because there is only route in and out of the canyon, creating safety concerns.
The new orders affect Holy Ghost, Tres Lagunas, El Macho and Lower La Posada in the Pecos Canyon.
"Tonight and tomorrow we're going to still see some of those same [easterly] winds," which create problems for the western side of the fire, Lopez noted.
The wildfire had grown to 314,313 acres by Saturday evening, with new growth in both southwestern and northwestern areas. It remained 40 percent contained, and nearly 2,900 personnel were fighting to control it.
Meanwhile, the Black Fire, which has been burning in the Gila Mountains in Southern New Mexico since May 13, saw significant spread, also prompting new evacuations. The blaze has grown to more than 120,000 acres in just over a week.
Cooler temperatures, higher humidity and milder winds in the next few days, along with some cloud cover, are expected to slow the spread of the massive Hermits Peak/Calf Canyon blaze and create more favorable conditions for aerial and ground crews battling it.
Officials said one of the two runs that leaped toward Pecos Canyon in the Ruidoso Ridge and Bull Canyon areas had jumped a fire line, but crews were able to quickly surround the spot fire and mop it up Saturday. There were concerns the fingers of fire could spread, though models showed them meeting and growing to the north rather than pushing farther west.
On the fire's northwestern edge, Hotshot crews have been working in what operations section chief Jayson Coil called "incredibly steep, difficult country" to extinguish spot fires that threaten to push the blaze farther north.
"And that is going to take time," Coil said, estimating it could be five or six days of work. "But until they get those spots, strong southwest winds still present the risk of the fire moving [northeast] and then continuing over toward Sierra Bonita" and Black Lake and Angel Fire.
"So, the work's ongoing. It's slow. It's tedious. It's difficult," Coil said. "But they're making good progress."
Aerial crews and ground crews have been working together to try to contain active spots around Martinez Pond, he said, and firefighters have so far held the blaze west of N.M. 518 near Angostura.
The fire also remained active in rugged terrain west of Angostura, Coil said.
Fire behavior analyst Stuart Turner said upcoming weather conditions likely will allow aircraft to fly, dropping water and retardant to help slow the Hermits Peak/Calf Canyon Fire.
But there will be more growth.
In addition to active areas on the perimeter that will move the fire farther, especially to the north and west, Turner said unburned "islands" within the entire area of the fire — more than 490 square miles — will ignite and continue to burn.
