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Cooks Peak Fire Morning Update for April 26, 2022
Cooks Peak
Publication Type: News 04/26/2022
Firefighters continue to make progress with containment
Fire behavior will moderate today with arrival of snow, but remains active
Morning Update 4/26/2022Acres: 54,021 acres
Location: North of Ocate NM, approximately 46 miles north of Las Vegas, NM
Containment: 18%
Start Date: Sunday, April 17, 2022
Cause: Unknown, under investigation
Fuels: ponderosa pine, oak brush and grass
Current Evacuations for Mora and Colfax Counties:
Mora County – GO: Los LeFebres and Los Huerros, residents east of County Road 009 and north of NM Highway 120. Ready: Lucero and Los Cocas, residents west of County Road 009 and north of Highway 120. The Mora and Colfax County Sheriff’s Offices are using the Ready! Set! Go! program for evacuation status that provides information on evacuation and evacuation preparation.
Evacuation center is set up at Old Memorial Middle School, 947 Old National Rd, Las Vegas; and Colfax County Fairgrounds, 16 Airport Road, Springer.
Livestock: Residents can evacuate livestock to the Colfax County Fairgrounds. If residents from Mora need a place for horses, the Taos Rodeo Grounds is available. Contact: Livestock Inspector Ruben Baca 505-770-1490.
Although Monday’s moisture provided favorable conditions for fighting fire, winds and drying conditions are predicted for the next several days. As wind increases and fuels dry, fire behavior increases in intensity. So although the moisture brought some relief, drought stricken fuels and high winds will again challenge firefighters. Today crews will continue direct hand line construction along the west and northwest areas of the fire. These hotshot crews will camp out to maximize their efficiency and effectiveness. Engine crews working the eastern flank of the burned area will continue with mop-up and cold trailing along previously built dozer lines. If conditions allow, unburned fuels will be ignited south of Sweetwater and west of County Road 21 to strengthen containment lines where rugged topography presents challenges. Some suppression repair will begin northeast of Naranjos where the fire is contained.
On the ground tactics must vary with fuels and conditions. Every effort is being made to keep this fire footprint as small as possible. With yesterday’s moisture, “there is not a lot of heat established right now, it is a good day to go direct”, said Arthur Gonzalez, Fire Behavior Analyst with Southwest Incident Management Team 5.
Weather: Sunday featured moderate fire weather conditions, due to cooler temperatures, lighter winds, and more clouds over the Cooks Peak Fire. Last night, a cold front pushed in from the north, bringing rain and higher elevation snow showers. Snow accumulations range from 1-4 inches for the fire area. Winds remain relatively light through the day, shifting from easterly to southerly through the afternoon.
Highway Closures: The Cooks Peak Fire closed a portion NM120, from mile marker 14, three miles west of Ocate to mile marker 26, five miles east of Naranjos and at the junction of highway 442 and 120. NM21 is also closed from mile marker 0 in Cimarron to mile marker 34 in Springer. Motorists are advised to delay travel or to seek alternate routes. Visit https://nmroads.com/mapIndex.html for additional information.
More Information:
Inciweb: https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/8066/
New Mexico Fire information: https://nmfireinfo.com/
Smoke Outlook: https://outlooks.wildlandfiresmoke.net/outlook/b335b9f4
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CooksPeakFireInfo/
Information on Calf Canyon Fire:
Phone: 505-356-2636, phone answered from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Inciweb: https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/8069