Firefighters encouraged by progress in the south – nmfireinfo.com

August 24, 2022 Calf Canyon Fire Update

Acres: 341,735| Containment: 100% | Total personnel: 521| Start Date: Hermits Peak: April 6, 2022; Calf Canyon: April 19, 2022 | Cause: Hermits Peak: Spot fires from prescribed burn; Calf Canyon: Holdover fire from prescribed pile burn | Location: 12 miles NW of Las Vegas, NM | Fuels: Heavy mixed conifer, ponderosa pine, brush, and grass

Highlights: Repairs are nearing completion on the southern end of the fire area. Continued cooperation from the public has helped the firefighters complete their repair work with maximum efficiency and safety. Incoming favorable weather into next week is expected to provide better conditions to increase the pace of repair activities.

Operations: Although the Calf Canyon Fire is now 100% contained, suppression repair remains an ongoing activity with 521 personnel assigned to the incident. In the northern section of the fire area, firefighters are conducting assessments on roads and identifying culverts in need of repair. Despite large amounts of rain in these areas, chipping and fence repair efforts continue in areas deemed safe from flooding. In the northwest section, firefighters expect log extraction to begin once weather conditions permit. Wood will be distributed to communities around the fire or otherwise made available to the public over the next couple of months. Firefighters are using self-contained incinerators called air curtain burners to remove slash and other debris left over from suppression activities. These machines are an important tool used to safely incinerate large amounts of woody debris at once, increasing the efficiency of repair efforts. Crews are completing road improvements using heavy equipment and gravel in high traffic areas needed to support critical repair work.

Closures: On August 9, the Santa Fe National Forest reduced the fire closure area, opening additional access to the Pecos Wilderness. To view the closure order and map, please visit Santa Fe Alerts & Notices (usda.gov). Due to the progress of suppression repair, more areas in the Camino Real Ranger District on the Carson National Forest were reopened on August 24. To view the new closure order and map, please visit Carson National Forest Alerts & Notices (usda.gov). More areas will reopen over time as suppression repair is completed and areas become safe to reenter. Areas directly burned by the fire or at continued risk from flash flooding may stay closed longer for firefighter and public safety. Short-term closures in reopened areas may still occur from time to time. Monsoon weather, firefighter and public safety, and completion of suppression repair activities all play a part in the decision to revise or lift closure orders.

Weather: Coverage of storms will become more isolated Wednesday and Thursday, before increased storm activity arrives on Friday and Saturday from a passing weather disturbance. The risk for flash flooding will remain each afternoon, with Friday seeing the highest risk. Once the weather disturbance passes, there will be a drying trend with less storm coverage into the early and middle portion of next week.

Fire Flooding and Recovery Resources: 2022 Wildland Fires Resources Hotline: https://www.nmdhsem.org/2022- wildfires/ | After Wildfire New Mexico Guide: https://www.afterwildfirenm.org/ | Hermits Peak and Calf Canyon Fires Burned Area Emergency Response: https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/8104/

For questions or concerns related to flooding, please call the New Mexico State Emergency Operations Center at 1-800-432-2080. For federal disaster with fire or flood damage to your primary residence, please call the FEMA Helpline at 1-800-621-3362.

Private Land Suppression Repair Survey (English and Spanish): https://www.tinyurl.com/suppressionrepair. Call 720-417-8048 for assistance in English, or 505-398-3889 for assistance in Spanish.

Fire Information: Office Hours: 8:00 AM 8:00 PM | Phone: 505-356-2636| Email: 2022.hermitspeak@firenet.gov

Online Fire Information Resources: https://www.inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/8069/ | https://www.facebook.com/santafeNF/ | nmfireinfo.com |Santa Fe National Forest Twitter | tinyurl.com/HermitsYouTube | Santa Fe National Forest | Carson National Forest

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Firefighters encouraged by progress in the south - nmfireinfo.com