Community members wait early this evening for the public meeting on the Cerro Pelado Fire at Griffith Gymnasium. Photo by Kirsten Laskey/ladailypost.com
Representatives from the different agencies involved in the Cerro Pelado Fire take part in the meeting today. Photo by Kirsten Laskey/ladailypost.com
By KIRSTEN LASKEY
Los Alamos Daily Post
kirsten@ladailypost.com
The community received a bit of good news/bad news about the Cerro Pelado Fire during tonight’s meeting at Griffith Gymnasium.
Cerro Pelado Fire Public Information Officer Mike Linbery relayed the good news.
“We got some news this afternoon (with) the lifting of some evacuations and highway closures … it’s going pretty well,” he said.
The bad news, as several speakers pointed out, is that conditions are very dry, very windy, and not a drop of rain is forecasted.
“… (there’s) not much chance at all of any precipitation in sight,” Incident Meteorologist with the National Weather Service Scott Stearns said.
He added, Friday is going to have a red flag warning, which will be in effect from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Plus, there will be a wind advisory in effect from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Friday. The winds are not expected to be as strong as they were last week. Stearns said the wind is predicted to be 15-20 mph with gusts up to 35-40 mph. The winds will switch direction from the southwest to the northwest.
In conclusion, Stearns emphasized the importance for residents to be cognizant of what they are doing and the impacts their actions could have on the environment.
“I just want to stress that the last thing this area needs is another fire starter…,” he said.
With Friday’s red flag alert, the community needs to be prepared for what lies ahead, LANL Wildland Fire Management Officer Rich Neito said.
“…Be proactive versus reactive in your ability to prepare yourself,” he said. “If those types of conditions occur in red flags – if those winds are in excess of 35 or 40 mph … (the aircraft) they might not be able to fly … so you can’t get aircraft in the air, nor you can get ground resources … that’s what you got to be mindful of.”
Los Alamos Fire Department (LAFD) Chief Troy Hughes also emphasized the importance of being prepared for whatever situation arises.
“As I talk about preparedness for us … I guess we ask you as citizens to have that same level of preparedness with yourselves,” he said. “We have the ready, set, go – we might be even getting closer to set – it is so dry with the conditions right now. Please be ready … I don’t think this fire here is going to be one to cause that but with the conditions that we have right now in April we don’t know when the next fire is going to be closer, and we are going to have to pull that trigger and evacuate.”
Another piece of souring news is that the Cerro Pelado Fire isn’t going anywhere.
Section Chief for the Southern Area Red Team Peter Myers said this is a long duration fire. The conditions are just prohibiting the fire from being easily put out.
“…(It’s) hot, dry, we are in a draught … we would love to go in there and put this out but it’s just not going to happen,” he said. “We are trying to get out and get in front of this thing …”
Myers said this is an anomaly to have this type of fire so early in the season.
“Just that time of year; it is early in the fire season we shouldn’t really have a fire of this size this time of year …,” he said.
The fire could last a month, two months – it just isn’t known, Myers said.
The weather forecast isn’t looking good, Neito said. He reported that significant amounts of moisture aren’t expected until July.
There are extreme draught conditions, he said, adding “we are hitting historic highs with our conditions right now.”
That is why fires have such rapid spread and long-range spotting, Neito said.
There are many obstacles, but all the agencies involved are working hard to overcome the fire.
Valles Caldera National Park Superintendent Jorge Silva Bañuelos said neither the Valles or Bandelier National Monument are currently threatened by the fire. He commended the Type 1 team for its work, which was able to immediately address an approximately 5-acre fire that was started today.
“All I can say this community has a very long history with the fires with Cerro Grande in 2000, Las Conches in 2011,” Silva Bañuelos said. “It’s really hard for me to come here, smell the smoke, see that orange color in the air and sky and I’m hopeful we get some moisture here soon and I’m just very grateful we were able to get a Type 1Team very quickly …”
Hughes also commended the Southern Area Red Team.
“We are used to very high standards here in Los Alamos … (the Southern Area Red Team) lives up to those standards,” he said.
For LAFD’s part, Hughes said they were part of the initial fire fight and has provided resources for the effort. Since Las Conchas, Hughes said LAFD, with assistance of Los Alamos National Laboratory and the Department of Energy, has replaced its entire wildland fleet.
Deputy Incident Commander Patrick Pierson credited the partnerships between the agencies in bringing order to the chaos.
“We try to come in and work with the community, work with the local fire departments … it’s been an extremely good experience here on this fire. With Los Alamos Fire Department, U.S. Forest Service, Parks Service, everybody has such as collaborative working relationship here,” he said.
“I think given the 400 resources here in a short amount of time has been able to do a lot of good work … (it) has allowed us to open this community back up today,” Pierson said. “That is directly related to the work the troops on the ground are doing.”
The Cerro Pelado Fire started April 22 and is located seven miles east of Jemez Springs. It has grown to 6,119 acres and is currently 5 percent contained. Total personnel working on the fire is 360. The cause of the fire is still under investigation. For more information, visit https://inciweb.nwcg.gov.
LANL Wildland Fire Management Officer Rich Neito, at the podium, shows on the screen the extreme drought conditions the area is facing. Photo by Kirsten Laskey/ladailypost.com
Los Alamos Fire Chief Troy Hughes speaks to members of the public after the meeting is finished. Photo by Kirsten Laskey/ladailypost.com
