Fire

LAFD Hydrant Testing Runs Through October

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Fire hydrant flowing. Courtesy photo

LAFD News:

The Los Alamos Fire Department (LAFD) will be testing fire hydrants throughout Los Alamos County June through October. 

The purpose of hydrant testing is to ensure that they will provide an adequate water supply for fire suppression and to flush out sediments that have accumulated in the water distribution system over the past year. These tests are part of the regular hydrant maintenance program and are done in conjunction with the Los Alamos Department of Public Utilities (DPU). 

The community will see LAFD firefighters and vehicles Read More

North Fire Temporary Closure Order Issued

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SFNF News:
 
ALBUQUERQUE ― To ensure both public and firefighter safety, a temporary Closure Order has been issued in the vicinity of the North Fire.
 
All National Forest System lands, roads and trails within the area are closed to public use. 
 
The closed areas include:
  • Trail 92, Trail 91, Trail 36, Trail 37, Trail 37A, Trail 38; and
  • Forest Road (FR) 330, FR 378, FR 138, FR 138A, FR 56, FR 52.
The following are exempt from this closure order:
  • Fire fighters assigned to the North Fire;
  • Local, State, and Federal law enforcement officers in the performance of an official
Read More

Barbero Fire On Santa Fe National Forest

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SFNF News:
 
Location:
  • Pecos/Las Vegas Ranger District of the Santa Fe National Forest
  • On Rowe Mesa about 12 miles southeast of Pecos
 
Start Date: Reported May 26, 2016
Size: Approximately 146 acres at 8 a.m.
Percent Contained: 50%
Growth Potential: Minimal
Cause: Human, under investigation
Vegetation: Pinon-juniper, ponderosa pine, heavy slash from thinning            
Summary: The fire appears to be human caused and started during the night. Crews
Read More

WIPP Update: Firefighters Complete Training

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WIPP News:
 
Members of the WIPP fire department recently participated in Live Fire Training at the Permian Basin Regional Training Center south of Carlsbad.
 
Live Fire Training is a critical part of the training and certification process for WIPP firefighters and the facilities at the regional training center allowed the 29 participants to respond and fight fires in a realistic, but controlled environment. 
 
The training required participants to solve unique problems associated with fires in different types of structures and
Read More

Jewell Announces $10 Million For Projects To Increase Wildfire Resilience Across America

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Interior Secretary Sally Jewell
 
DOI News:
 
BOISE, ID ― U.S. Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell announced $10 million in funding to help increase the resiliency of critical landscapes across the country to better mitigate the impacts of wildfire and climate change.
 
The Wildland Fire Resilient Landscapes Program is a new approach to achieve fire resiliency and help restore public lands nationwide through multi-year investments in designated landscapes.
 
Launched last year, the program incorporates goals of the National Cohesive Wildland
Read More

Prescribed Burn Planned On Santa Fe National Forest Coyote Ranger District

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SFNF News:

SANTA FE – Fire managers on the Santa Fe National Forest hope to take advantage of conditions next week to conduct a prescribed burn on the Coyote Ranger District. The 5,041-acre French Mesa treatment area is located approximately 10 miles north of Gallina.  

Hand ignitions may begin as early as Monday, May 23, but that window is dependent on favorable conditions, including fuel moisture levels, air quality and weather forecasts. Once ignitions have started, crews hope to treat up to 150 acres per day

Prescribed fires are one of the most effective tools available to resource Read More

Los Alamos Fire Department EMS Chief Ben Stone Earns Degree; Receives Harvard Fellowship

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LAFD EMS Chief Ben Stone travels to Cambridge in June to participate in the Senior Executives in State and Local Government program at Harvard University. The caledar on the wall, put out by Air Medical, features Stone on one of the pages. Courtesy photo

 

By NANCY COOMBS
UNM-Los Alamos

For the past decade, Los Alamos Division Fire Chief-EMS Ben Stone has educated UNM students in the EMS program all the while he was finishing his own formal education and climbing a career ladder. This month, the youngest chief in the LAFD is reaching the top—he’s picking up a diploma on his way to the Ivy League. Read More

Prescribed Burn Planned On Española Ranger District

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SFNF News:
 
SANTA FE ― Fire managers on the Santa Fe National Forest hope to take advantage of current conditions to conduct the previously announced Mesitas prescribed burn on the Española Ranger District this week. 
 
The 1,700-acre treatment area is located approximately six miles southwest of Abiquiu, 15 miles north of Los Alamos and 15 miles northwest of Española. Once ignitions have started, they are expected to last two to five days.
 
Prescribed fires are one of the most effective tools available to resource managers for restoring fire-adapted ecosystems. These
Read More

Marijuana Wax Lab Explodes Inside Local Apartment

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The bathroom where the explosion occurred Monday in unit 11 at the Caballo Peak Apartments on Canyon Road. Photo by Carol A. Clark/ladailypost.com
 
The living room in unit 11 following Monday’s explosion at the Caballo Peak Apartments. Photo by Carol A. Clark/ladailypost.com
 
By CAROL A. CLARK
Los Alamos Daily Post
 
A marijuana wax lab operation led to Monday’s massive explosion inside unit 11 at the Caballo Peak Apartments at 3100 Canyon Road.
 
Joseph Gonzales, 26, lived in the unit with his 7-year-old son, who was uninjured in the blast. Gonzales was injured
Read More

IHM Opens Doors To Apartment Evacuees

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Los Alamos County Emergency Manager Bev Simpson, right, speaks with Red Cross Disaster Program Manager Claire Ryan Monday afternoon at the temporary shelter set up inside Karen McLaughlin Parish Hall at Immaculate Heart of Mary Church. The Catholic Church on Canyon Road opened its doors to residents forced to evacuate following an early morning explosion at Caballo Peak Apartments. Photo by Carol A. Clark/ladailypost.com

Red Cross arrives at Karen McLaughlin Parish Hall at Immaculate Heart of Mary Church Monday to assist evacuees from the Caballo Peak Apartments. Photo by Carol Read More