Fire

Cerro Pelado Fire Evening Video: Wednesday May 11

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Video of Great Basin Team 1 Public Information Officer Mary Cernicek speaking this evening with the Los Alamos Daily Post on what occurred throughout the day with the Cerro Pelado Fire. Watch for a video update in the morning in which Cernicek will give a briefing on what occurred overnight with the fire at ladailypost.com. Video by Kirsten Laskey/ladailypost.com Read More

Girl Scouts To Hold Pet Food Drive Saturday May 14 For Animals Impacted By New Mexico Wildfires

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Courtesy photo

GSNM News:

ALBUQUERQUE — This Saturday, Girl Scouts in New Mexico will be working to help a very specific population group impacted by the devastating wildfires in our state – animals. 

Girls Scouts will be collecting food and supplies for pets and livestock that have either been evacuated or abandoned due to the combined Hermits Peak and Calf Canyon Fires. The public is invited to contribute dog or cat food, hay, grains, or any additional supplies that can be donated to organizations addressing this immediate need in San Miguel, Mora and Santa Fe Counties. 

“Many Girl Scout troops Read More

View This Afternoon From Downtown Los Alamos Of Smoke Plume Billowing From Cooks Peak Fire

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View this afternoon from Central Avenue in downtown Los Alamos looking east at the large smoke plume billowing from the Cooks Peak Fire burning North of Ocate, approximately 46 miles north of Las Vegas. The fire has consumed 59,359 acres and is now 97 percent contained. The fire began Sunday, April 17, and was determined to be human caused. Photo by Carol A. Clark/ladailypost.com

View this afternoon from Knecht Street looking east at the large smoke plume billowing from the Cooks Peak Fire burning approximately 46 miles north of Las Vegas. Photo by Carol A. Clark/ladailypost.com  Read More

Cerro Pelado Fire Update: Fire Sees Least Overnight Growth Since It Started, Crews Now Focused On Alamo Canyon

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A Skycrane draws water from a tank at the Inter-Agency Fire Center at LANL. Firefighters had air support from helicopters and heavy tankers for most of today. Courtesy/LANL 

LANL News:

Despite red flag conditions (high wind, low humidity) the Cerro Pelado Fire did not see significant growth Tuesday night. The fire grew 885 acres, from 42,491 acres yesterday to 43,376 acres today, which is the least overnight growth since it started.

More than 1,000 personnel are now working the fire. Overnight firefighting operations focused on Alamo Ridge and Alamo Canyon, where crews are taking actions Read More

U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich Secures Over $15M To Improve Wildfire Response Capabilities At Kirtland Air Force Base

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From the Office of U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich:

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), Chair of the Appropriations Subcommittee that oversees funding for Military Construction, secured the approval of more than $15 million for the Cibola National Forest Air Tanker Base (ATB) on Kirtland Air Force Base to upgrade facilitates to allow the use of Very Large Air Tankers (VLATs) to fight wildfires.

Sen. Heinrich secured this funding after engaging with Air Force leadership and the U.S. Forest Service.

“After working directly with both the U.S. Air Force and U.S. Forest Service, Read More

U.S. Rep. Melanie Stansbury Votes To Expand Access To Critical Benefits For Firefighters In New Mexico

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From the Office of U.S. Rep. Melanie Stansbury:

As New Mexico faces some of the largest wildfires in the history of the state, the Federal Firefighters Fairness Act will expand access for job-related disability and retirement benefits for federal firefighters. 

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Rep. Melanie Stansbury (N.M.-01) voted to pass critical legislation to ensure federal firefighters receive the same access to job-related disability and retirement benefits as state, county, and municipal firefighters.  Numerous studies have found heart disease, lung disease, certain cancers, Read More

Wildfire Joint Information Center Cautions Residents About Potential Health Risks From Wildfires

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DHSEM News:

SANTA FE — The Wildfire Joint Information Center provides guidance to residents returning to their homes after destructive fires.

Homeowners should be aware of the immediate and long-term health risks associated with exposure to residential wildfire ash and debris. Whenever possible, residents should avoid or minimize contact with fire debris.

“We know people are anxious to return to their homes and assess the damage caused by recent, devastating wildfires,” DHSEM Deputy Secretary Carla Walton said. “They often want to sift through the debris to see if anything is salvageable, Read More

Firefighters Work To Keep Ahead Of Cerro Pelado Fire

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A firefighter is on the job Tuesday working to keep ahead of the Cerro Pelado Fire cutting trees as part of mitigation efforts in combating the blaze, which has been burning in the Jemez Mountains since the afternoon of Friday, April 22, 2022. The cause is still undetermined. Photo by Nate Limback/ladailypost.com

Firefighters on the job Tuesday cutting down trees as part of mitigation efforts in combating the Cerro Pelado Fire burning in the Jemez Mountains. Photo by Nate Limback/ladailypost.com

Firefighters on the job Tuesday cutting down trees as part of mitigation efforts in combating Read More

New Mexico Superintendent Of Insurance Issues Emergency Order In Response To Wildfires To Assure Affected Individuals Have Access To Health Care Services

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New Mexico Superintendent of Insurance Russell Toal

STATE News:

SANTA FE – In response to the horrific fires the state is experiencing, the New Mexico Superintendent of Insurance has issued an Emergency Order to assure affected individuals in these counties continue to have access to needed health care services and are able to maintain their  insurance coverage during this period of displacement and uncertainty.

The order covers the counties for which Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham has declared an emergency.

“New Mexicans whose lives have been disrupted by these terrible wildfires still Read More