NM Wildfire | Hermits Peak Fire | 3

Update 3 – June 12, 2022, Sunday – 1340 PT

The Hermits Peak Fire is located 12 miles northwest of Las Vegas, New Mexico, and started on April 6, 2022. The Calfs Canyon Fire is also included in this incident update, which rekindled on April 19, 2022, under the surface from a burn pile from three winter seasons prior.

Current Fire Status

The fire has burned 320,333 acres, along with 896 structures, and damaged 83. Additionally, there are 12,328 still under a direct threat. Firefighters have reached a 70% containment status as of today’s update. Vegetation is starting to regrow in fire-burned areas.

The Hermits Peak Fire is the State’s largest fire in recorded history.

South Zone (SWIMT2):

• Fire WX: returned strong west/southwesterly winds with borderline critically low RH and increased temps.
• Fire behavior: expectations of being active, flanking, and backing along the Mora Flats to the north and south.
• Fire is well established west of Rio Mora and is expected to move slowly upslope to Hamilton Mesa.

North Zone (SWIMT1):

• Fire behavior: minimal fire behavior is expected but there’s a potential for increased activity as weather conditions become poor.

Resources (Assigned)

The following are still assigned to this incident include 2 Type 3 Airtankers, 11 Camp Crews, 3 Type 1 crews, 13 Type 2 crews, 18 Type 2IA crews, 1 Type 2 engine, 23 Type 3 engines, 6 Type 4 engines, 2 Type 5 engines with a total of 2,330 fire personnel.

Resources (Critical Needs)

Critical resource needs are as listed needed for this wildfire incident including in the South Zone: 2 EQTR, 3 RADO. North Zone: 2 DIVS, 3 TFLD, 2 HEQB, 2 HC2, 3 Type 6 engines, 7 dozers, 3 dump, 8 excavators, 7 GRAD, 6 skid engines (rubber-tired grapple), 2 water tenders, 1 RADO, and 1 REMS.

Evacuee Alerts, Resources

• Evacuation Orders — https://tinyurl.com/HermitsPeak
• Evacuation Guide — https://tinyurl.com/RSGNM (English/Spanish)
• Closures, Restrictions — https://tinyurl.com/bdy5y99r

Through the Eyes of Social Media

POTUS Joe Biden landed in Mexico on Saturday, to review efforts to fight the biggest fire, which was started by Federal officials when an RX (prescribed) fire was scheduled and carried out during RED FLAG WARNING conditions were occurring. Frustration and anger from wildfire survivors only added fuel to the fire as the Feds were the ones who caused this incident and so many have lost too much. (Source: The Guardian — https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2022/jun/11/biden-new-mexico-wildfire-federal-burns).

Mora County (NM) residents sue the U.S. Forest Service for key documents on the State’s largest wildfire. They say the Federal Agency who was the cause of the wildfire has withheld important pieces of information related to a records request submitted for this April 2022 Fire. The Hermit Peak and Calf Canyon Fires merged together, causing this to be one of the biggest wildfires in their State history.

Mora County (NM) resident group vs. USFS case say they filed the case to obtain information related to the start of these wildfires. Some reports indicate many ranchers of modest means appear unlikely to receive compensation for uninsured cabins, barns, and sheds which were destroyed by fire. (Source: KOAT Albuquerque — https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/mora-county-residents-sue-us-forest-service-for-information-on-states-largest-wildfire/ar-AAYktaF)

When a US PRESIDENT makes a promise, it must be kept in our opinion but here’s what was said by Biden and what doubling down looks like: “I can’t commit to that on my own,” Biden said. “That’s what’s being proposed by in the Congress. And I support what they’re doing.”

SuperHeroes to the Rescue

NMPFFA, IAFF Local 244, LV NM Firefighters, and the NM State Police were part of several “missions” by distributing tirelessly, supplies to evacuees, and those fighting these wildfires in their home state are being honored here in this post along with so many.

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Stay safe friends.

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