April 30, 2022, daily update, 09:00
Decare: 97,064 acres Restriction: 32% Start date: April 19, 2022 Reason: Under investigation Total staff: 1,020 Location: Located near Galinas Canyon Fuels: Mixed conifers
Highlights: The high wind speeds in the area caused the fire to spread rapidly east to Las Vegas and south through the Gallinas Canyon yesterday. Wind-driven traffic exceeded projected speeds, causing many changes in evacuations and road closures. This dynamic situation will continue today, please stay tuned for updates. Observe all closures and allow fire extinguishers to work safely. Firefighting and public safety will continue to be the number one priority.
Operations: The fire made a significant push to the east during yesterday’s wind. Outpacing forecast models, the speed of spread along the southern end of the fire forced firefighters to return to protecting points around structures and other valuables at risk. The rapid spread of the fire has led to rapidly changing levels of evacuation and road closures. There is no valid red flag warning for today, but temperatures and relative humidity will still lead to a very active fire day, along with winds from the south / southeast, shifting the fire to the north / northwest. Two new operational units have been set up at the east and south-east ends of the fire, and firefighting resources have been redeployed to the units where the greatest threat to homes and other valuables exists, in order to contain the fire west of NM Highway 518 and protect it from Ice. North. Focusing on the protection of the structure and the strengthening of the protective lines will be the focus of the operational period today. Four scoop planes and eight helicopters will carry out air operations against the fire as long as the weather allows. Two additional scoop planes will be added to the airstrike later today. Please note that drones are still prohibited in the temporary restricted area outlined on the map. If drones enter the flight zone, the firefighting planes are grounded.
Evacuations: The sheriffs of San Miguel and Mora County are asking all residents of the area to stay on high alert for changes in evacuation status and road closures. It is imperative to observe the closures and to follow the evacuation orders. Failure to do so may pose an additional risk to firefighters and the public. Please follow the San Miguel and Mora County Sheriff’s Facebook pages for the latest updates at
Weather: South to southwest wind 15-20 mph with gusts up to 30 mph this afternoon, pushing the fire north / northwest. Higher temperatures and lower relative humidity will increase fire activity in the area. There is another red flag warning tomorrow, May 1.
Restrictions: The Santa Fe National Forest has issued a closure order and has applied Stage II fire restrictions to protect public health and safety during Calf Canyon Fire fire operations. The full order and closure card are available in the Temporary Flight Restriction (TFR) introduced over the area has been extended to include the Gallinas Canyon area. TFR also covers drones or drones. If a private drone invades the fire area, it will require a pause in all air operations and will impede the progress of firefighting, putting firefighters at greater risk.
Smoke: The Las Vegas area will see (USG) prolonged smoke conditions in the morning, especially in low-lying areas. Switch to moderate conditions, as southwest winds of 10-15 mph clear the area. Afternoon transition to the west-southwest. This will produce more smoke in the area late in the evening as winds push smoke into the valley. There will be (USG) smoke in the area, transitioning to moderate at times. The East Sea area near La Cueva will see (USG) smoke during the day. Firefighting around Rosiada, Pendaris, Buena Vista and Sapello today will create unhealthy air quality conditions as fire activity and winds increase. An interactive smoke map allows you to zoom in on your area to see the latest smoke conditions.
Future fire information: The working hours of the Calf Canyon and Hermit Peak Fire Information Office are from 8:00 to 20:00. The telephone number for information on fires is 505-356-2636. The email address is 2022.calfcanyon@firenet.gov. Future information on fires will continue to be posted on Inciweb, SFNF Facebook and Twitter, the SFNF website and the New Mexico Fire Information website.
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