Update on New Mexico Fires

  Russ had a question about the wildfires in New Mexico. 

As of today several fires are still burning throughout the state, though we are not in any danger where we live. The one nearest us is the Cerro Pelado Fire. Some have been burning since early April and they don't make the news once they are fairly well contained. They can burn for months. Thousands of firefighters are on the job throughout the state and in Arizona, Colorado and California and other states. Millions of dollars are being spent for firefighters salary (which is NOT ADEQUATE), protective gear, equipment, planes, helicopters, surveillance, heavy equipment like trucks and bulldozers, housing, food, transportation etc.

Hermits Peak and Calf Canyon are one combined - biggest fire in NM ever. 

Sorry about the formatting...copy and paste glitch More info and photos and videos here if you want to browse around :https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/

Black Fire	Wildfire	New Mexico, USA	324132 Acres	7 hrs. ago
Midnight Fire	Wildfire	New Mexico, USA	4896 Acres	8 hrs. ago
Hermits Peak Fire	Wildfire	New Mexico, USA	340980 Acres	9 hrs. ago
Calf Canyon	Wildfire	New Mexico, USA	340980 Acres	9 hrs. ago
Cerro Pelado	Wildfire	New Mexico, USA	45605 Acres	2 days ago
Cienegita Fire	Wildfire	New Mexico, USA	37 Acres	6/9/2022
Bear Trap Fire	Wildfire	New Mexico, USA	38225 Acres	6/9/2022

 

Life in New Mexico in the Era of Climate Change

 The Cerro Pelado Fire in the Jemez Mountains of New Mexico is threatening Los Alamos because of unprecedented, sustained and extremely severe northeast winds. Here at Cochiti Lake, we are still not in immediate danger. But that is no guarantee should the wind change because the southern edge of the fire is only about 6 miles from town.

 Planes and helicopters have been scooping water from Cochiti Lake to fight the fire. They have been at it all day long for days. The fire is expected to burn for several weeks or more. Drought is also severe and coupled with the strong wind, the situation is dangerous all over the state.

 

 

Photo taken by a neighbor two nights aago

 Speaking of drought...the hubs, Ranger Leon was helping with trail maintenence in an area west of us and putting up botanical signs to identiy the plants along the trail. They could not find a living specimen of prickly pear cactus on the trail and actually had to go to a greenhouse that specialized in native plants to purchase a prickly pear cactus to plant along the trail. The drought is pretty bad when cactus are dying in the desert for lack of water.

Another Update on the Cerro Pelado Fire Near Cochiti Lake, NM

We are OK so far. There is a chance we may have to evacuate if the fire gets much closer. 

Last report it was about 5 miles from us, which is pretty close for a wildfire fed by high winds. 

There is a “ready, set, go” system of alerts. We have not been given the “ready” alert. Once that happens “get set” and “go” can happen fairly quickly. 

There will be/are 150 fire fighters headquartered in our town where they will go up into the burn area closest to us where a very hot fire is feeding on huge, dead, extremely dry, fallen timber from the forest fire 11 years ago. According to the fire and forest experts who talked to us today, this is a very difficult and dangerous kind of fire to deal with. Even if there was no wind. 

But the experts who briefed us were all pretty calm...I'm not sure if it's time to panic yet. We have our camper packed fairly well and if we evacuate we plan on taking that. Have all the important papers together and believe me it is difficult trying to decide what has value (there's not much in our house that has monetary value) or is irreplaceable. 

I'm thinking mom's pasta board that dad made. Maybe a few pictures that dad painted. And I put SO MUCH WORK and EFFORT and KNEE PAIN in this year's vegetable garden... 

In the video our town is in the lower right hand corner of the map. That's exactly where the wind will be blowing tonight.

 

On Top of Old Smokey

 So I spent the whole morning out in the backyard garden where I saw only blue sky and sunshine. Then, when I went out to get the mail and opened the front door, the sky was a whole other thing. This is smoke from the Cerro Pelado fire I believe. There are other fires burning and some communities are under evacuation advisories and homes have been destroyed.

We are safe so far...but vigilant. 

I think we will have a drink and watch the Titanic sink (I mean the evening news).

Blue sky and smoke

Our Neck of the Desert

 Here on the reservation between Albuquerque and Santa Fe life is pretty good. Cost of living is much lower than in the cities and we have pretty much unlimited water. It is a 30 minute drive to Santa Fe for just about everything other than what is available at the convenience store, gas station, a post office, a mom & pop grocery store a few miles down the road. 

So I took a few photos from just outside of town today on my way back from Santa Fe.

And while there are fewer Ponderosa  Pines and lots of junipers the danger of fire is still a reality. The Las Conchas Fire in 2011 came frighteningly close to our little town. That was several years before we moved here.

Right now in New Mexico there are several wild fires buring out of control. The extremely dry conditions, gale force winds at times and dry thunder storms which produce lightening but no rain on the ground are making this season a very dangerous one.

The Cerro Pelado fire is less than 20 miles from us. It is burning in the Ponderosa Pine forest in the Jemez Mountains. We can see, and depending on the direction of the wind, smell the smoke, and at times, even see the flames. So far we are safe and there are no calls for evacuation.

The fire fighters are incredible. I don't know how they do what they do for many hours day and night. We thank them for their bravery and hard work.