Updates (continued)

Cerro Pelado Fire
45,605 acres, 95% Contained, 290 total personnel

Tuesday, 05/31/2022 - 1118 hours:
WEATHER AND FIRE BEHAVIOR
Although the red flag warning over the fire area has been removed, increased temperatures and low humidity in the range of 9 to 13 percent will keep fire risks high..

FIRE OPERATIONS
Crews will continue to patrol the perimeter of the fire on the northwest side, including the Peralta Canyon area keeping an eye for any heat or smoke in those areas. There is currently no threat to any structures around the fire.

On the west side of the fire, heavy equipment continues suppression repair and local fire crews, along with crews working on the fire, will be patrolling the fire’s perimeter on the eastern and southern sides of the fire. These crews will continue assisting with any needed initial attack that arises across the entire fire area.

With continued fire weather conditions today, the Rocky Mountain Incident Management Team Three would like to remind the public to be safe with fire and observe all closures and fire restrictions.

Hwy 4 is open to local traffic only so please drive carefully. By reducing speeds you can help protect firefighters working in the area.

Sunday, 05/29/2022 - 2047 hours:
WEATHER AND FIRE BEHAVIOR
Although temperatures will be cooler today, a red flag warning remains over the fire area due to winds and relative humidity remaining in the single digits. Isolated fire activity within the perimeter increased yesterday but remained with the fire and all lines held. Expect to see smoke from the interior as winds continue.

FIRE OPERATIONS
On the northwest side of the fire, crews will continue to patrol the perimeter and mop up deep into the interior of the fire perimeter when it’s safe to do so.

Hand crews and heavy equipment continue suppression repair on the west side of the fire. Local and incident resources on the eastern side of the fire will continue to patrol the fire’s perimeter while assisting with any needed initial attack that arises.

Sunday will be another day with red flag warning conditions. With critical fire weather continuing over this holiday weekend, the Rocky Mountain Incident Management Team Three would like to remind the public to be safe with fire and observe all closures and fire restrictions.

Hwy 4 is open to local traffic only so please drive carefully. By reducing speeds you can help protect firefighters working in the area.

Friday, 05/27/2022 - 1613 hours:
EVACUATION ORDERS LIFTED
On May 27th at 8:00 am the Cerro Pelado and the Peralta Canyon Evacuation Zones will be lifted. Residents can return to those areas. Returning residents should remain in “ready” mode, meaning ready to leave if conditions change. There are no longer any evacuated communities in the La Cueva district. Please drive safely and be aware there are still fire crews in the area.

Tuesday, 05/24/2022 – 1312 hours:
Effective immediately, official evacuation levels are being removed from the Deer Canyon, Cebollita Mesa, Jemez Springs, Los Alamos Laboratory, Los Alamos County, Cochiti Lake, Cochiti Pueblo, Valles Caldera National Park, Sierra de los Pinos, 38A, Cochiti Mesa and FR10 evacuation areas.

The Cerro Pelado and Peralta Canyon evacuation areas remain in “GO” status due to continued safety concerns with heavy equipment and work crews actively working in the area. There is currently no active fire threat in these areas.

Returning residents should remain in “READY” mode, meaning being ready to leave if conditions change. If conditions change and the fire threatens communities again, these areas could return to “GO”.

Cerro Pelado Fire Update Monday, May 23, 2022
45,605 acres, 85% Contained, 637 total personnel
Monday, 05/23/2022 - 1236 hours:
Fire Operations: Crews were able to complete mop up of the fire line near Peralta Canyon Road and remove unnecessary equipment. Suppression work in the area was also completed. Crews continue to work on suppression repair in the northeast corner of the fire. Firefighters were able to get into the Alamo Canyon area to look for heat. They only found a few areas of heat and were able to secure them. Crews will be pulling hose from the area and continuing the conversion of a dozer line into a trail. The large chipping operation along the 266 road will continue today. While patrolling the line on the western side of the fire, crews found a small area of heat and were able to mop it up and secure the fire perimeter. Crews started removing structure protection wrap from the Bandelier National Monument and will continue with that work today. They are also removing hoses and sprinklers from the area. Night division will be out again tonight to patrol the line and ensure no perimeter growth.

Updated Forest closures: Santa Fe, Carson and Cibola National Forests have implemented closures due to extreme fire danger effective Thursday, May 19th at 8am
Hwy 4 is open to local traffic only. Please drive carefully through the area as there are still fire crews working.
Red Flag Warning will be in effect Thursday from 12:00 pm to 10:00 pm.

Cerro Pelado Fire Update Thursday, May 19, 2022
45,605 acres, 74% Contained, 654 total personnel
Thursday, 05/19/2022 - 1110 hours:
Updated Forest closures: Santa Fe, Carson and Cibola National Forests have implemented closures due to extreme fire danger effective Thursday, May 19th at 8am
Hwy 4 is open to local traffic only. Please drive carefully through the area as there are still fire crews working.
Red Flag Warning will be in effect Thursday from 12:00 pm to 10:00 pm.

Cerro Pelado Fire Update Wednesday, May 18, 2022
45,605 acres, 74% Contained, 824 total personnel
Emergency officials want to remind the public that drones are Strictly Forbidden in the fire zone.
Drones pose a serious safety hazard for the firefighting planes and helicopters and could cause a deadly accident.
Because of the risk of accident, firefighting aircraft cannot fly if drones are in the area.

Wednesday, 05/18/2022 - 1557 hours:
Today's Operation: Today hand crews are building containment line directly on the fire’s edge, near the communications towers on Los Griegos Mountain, reinforcing contingency lines along Forest Road (FR) 271. Engine and hand crews are constructing sections of direct containment line to hold the stubborn backing fire on the hill south of FR 280 in the upper Peralta Canyon Area.

Closures:
Highway 4 closed from mile marker 34 to mile marker 50.
The Santa Fe National Forest has closed the Cerro Pelado Fire Area and Fire Base Camp along Forest Road 376.
Bandelier National Monument and Valles Caldera National Preserve remains closed.
The most updated road closure information can be found here: https://www.nmroads.com/mapIndex.html.
View closure information on the Santa Fe National Forest Website found here: https://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/santafe/alerts-notices/?cid=stelprd3802009

Fire Restrictions: Stage II Fire Restrictions are in effect for the Santa Fe National Forest, which prohibits all campfires and other hazardous activities. Due to ongoing fire threats, Sandoval County will not issue burn permits. Stage III Fire Restrictions are in effect for Cochiti Pueblo.

Temporary Flight Restriction: There is a flight restriction on the area over the fire (10 nautical miles southwest of Los Alamos, NOTAM 2/2366) to provide a safe environment for firefighting operations. Drones over the fire are also prohibited because their presence can disrupt air resources and pose additional fire hazard. More information: https://tfr.faa.gov/save_pages/detail_2_6919.html.

Cerro Pelado Fire Update Tuesday, May 17, 2022
45,605 acres, 71% Contained, 936 total personnel

Emergency officials want to remind the public that drones are Strictly Forbidden in the fire zone.
Drones pose a serious safety hazard for the firefighting planes and helicopters and could cause a deadly accident.
Because of the risk of accident, firefighting aircraft cannot fly if drones are in the area.

Tuesday, 05/17/2022 - 1413 hours:
Additional Update: With the Cerro Pelado fire now more than 70% contained and additional containment expected today and tomorrow, Los Alamos National Laboratory and Los Alamos County have returned to the “READY” stage of “ready, set, go.” However, fire officials note that historically dry conditions and higher winds expected later in the week are still cause for concern and ask residents to remain vigilant.

Today's Operation: Crews are planning to create containment line directly on the fire edge near the communications towers on Los Griegos Mountain. Crews will reinforce contingency line they have been constructing along Forest Road (FR) 271. Engine and hand crews will also be looking to reinforce containment lines along FR 280 and in the upper Peralta Canyon area where backing fire continues to slowly progress down the hill to the north.

Closures:
Highway 4 closed from mile marker 34 to mile marker 50.
The Santa Fe National Forest has closed the Cerro Pelado Fire Area and Fire Base Camp along Forest Road 376.
Bandelier National Monument and Valles Caldera National Preserve remains closed.
The most updated road closure information can be found here: https://www.nmroads.com/mapIndex.html.
View closure information on the Santa Fe National Forest Website found here: https://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/santafe/alerts-notices/?cid=stelprd3802009

Fire Restrictions: Stage II Fire Restrictions are in effect for the Santa Fe National Forest, which prohibits all campfires and other hazardous activities. Due to ongoing fire threats, Sandoval County will not issue burn permits. Stage III Fire Restrictions are in effect for Cochiti Pueblo.

Temporary Flight Restriction: There is a flight restriction on the area over the fire (10 nautical miles southwest of Los Alamos, NOTAM 2/2366) to provide a safe environment for firefighting operations. Drones over the fire are also prohibited because their presence can disrupt air resources and pose additional fire hazard. More information: https://tfr.faa.gov/save_pages/detail_2_6919.html.

Cerro Pelado Fire Update Monday, May 16, 2022
45,605 acres, 62% Contained, 1,001 total personnel

Additional Update: 05/16/2022 - 1554 hours
The Laboratory and Los Alamos County remain in the “SET” stage of “ready, set, go” but expect to decide soon whether to change the status back to “ready” based on current conditions. The Laboratory, including Triad and N3B, will remain on Maximum Telework until the status is changed to “ready.”
Also because of completed wildfire mitigation work, a portion of N.M. 4 has been reopened from mile post 61 to the Laboratory’s “back gate.”

Emergency officials also reminded the public that drones are Strictly Forbidden in the fire zone. Drones pose a serious safety hazard for the firefighting planes and helicopters and could cause a deadly accident. Because of the risk of accident, firefighting aircraft cannot fly if drones are in the area.

Monday, 05/16/2022 - 1122 hours:
Today's Operation: As containment increases on the Cerro Pelado Fire, fire managers are reassigning heavy machinery, engines, and hotshot crews to other fires where they are needed more. Crews are working to secure areas where the fire is burning in steep terrain near the communications towers on Los Griegos Mountain in the northwest corner of the fire. Pockets of interior fire activity remain a threat in the Paralta Ridge, Cerro Pelado Mountain, and Paliza Canyon areas.

Closures:
Highway 4 remains closed from mile marker 34 to 61 to prove a safe operational environment for equipment.
The Santa Fe National Forest has closed the Cerro Pelado Fire Area and Fire Base Camp along Forest Road 376.
Bandelier National Monument and Valles Caldera National Preserve remain closed until further notice.
The most updated road closure information can be found here: https://www.nmroads.com/mapIndex.html.
View closure information on the Santa Fe National Forest Website found here: https://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/santafe/alerts-notices/?cid=stelprd3802009

Fire Restrictions: Stage II Fire Restrictions are in effect for the Santa Fe National Forest, which prohibits all campfires and other hazardous activities. Due to ongoing fire threats, Sandoval County will not issue burn permits. Stage III Fire Restrictions are in effect for Cochiti Pueblo.

Temporary Flight Restriction: There is a flight restriction on the area over the fire (10 nautical miles southwest of Los Alamos, NOTAM 2/2366) to provide a safe environment for firefighting operations. Drones over the fire are also prohibited because their presence can disrupt air resources and pose additional fire hazard. More information: https://tfr.faa.gov/save_pages/detail_2_6919.html.

Sunday, 05/15/2022 - 1614 hours:
Cerro Pelado Fire Update Sunday, May 15, 2022
45,602 acres, 40% Contained, 1,078 total personnel
Fire Operation: Yesterday, a drone incursion over the fire caused air attack to order a complete shutdown of all air operations for the safety of aviation and ground crews. The shutdown was critical, significantly slowing the progress of work being performed to reduce hazards around the communication tower on Los Griegos Mountain in the northwest perimeter. The use of drones is prohibited per Temporary Flight Restrictions (TFR).

Closures:
Highway 4 closed from mile marker 34 to mile marker 50.
The Santa Fe National Forest has closed the Cerro Pelado Fire Area and Fire Base Camp along Forest Road 376.
Bandelier National Monument and Valles Caldera National Preserve remain closed until further notice.
The most updated road closure information can be found here: https://www.nmroads.com/mapIndex.html.
Bandelier National Monument and Valles Caldera National Preserve remain closed due to fire activity until further notice.

Temporary Flight Restriction: There is a flight restriction on the area over the fire (10 nautical miles southwest of Los Alamos, NOTAM 2/2366) to provide a safe environment for firefighting operations. Drones over the fire are also prohibited because their presence can disrupt air resources and pose additional fire hazard. More information: https://tfr.faa.gov/save_pages/detail_2_6919.html.

Wednesday, 05/11/2022 - 1609 hours:
Stage II Fire Restrictions are in effect for the Santa Fe National Forest, which prohibits all campfires and other hazardous activities. Due to ongoing fire threats, Sandoval County will not issue burn permits. Stage III Fire Restrictions are in effect for Cochiti Pueblo.
Acreage: 43,376 acres
Containment: 11%
Personnel and Equipment: 1,017 total personnel; 47 engines, 11 Type 1 hand crews, 15 Type 2 hand crews, 6 Type 2 initial attack crews, 9 helicopters, 2 scooper planes, 10 dozers, 1 masticator, 2 ambulances, 1 rapid medical extraction unit and 17 water tenders. 2 Air National Guard helicopters are on standby.

TODAY:
Crews will resume work on FR 280 to reinforce the containment line and will concentrate operations around FR 287. Firefighters will also continue to establish and strengthen containment lines along the eastern perimeter of the fire, especially along Dome Lookout Road, where the fire will continue backing and flanking eastward. Rocky terrain has reduced the fire intensity of the southern portion. Crews will resume monitoring as it slowly creeps toward Highway 267.

Evacuations, Shelter Areas:
Los Alamos County remains in “SET” evacuation level. The communities of Cochiti Mesa and the Peralta Canyon area, including Cox Ranch, remain under “GO” evacuation status. Four additional residences are evacuated in the Cox Ranch area between mile marker 36 and 40 along Highway 4.
Los Alamos residents that have special needs or are access-challenged will continue evacuation. Los Alamos High School is closed until further notice.
Evacuations for Sierra de Los Pinos and Valles Caldera National Preserve remain in “SET” mode, meaning residents should be ready to leave at a moment’s notice. Jemez Springs, La Cueva and Cochiti Lake area remain in “READY” status. Counties will provide updated information on evacuations as needed.

Closures:
Highway 4 remains closed to all traffic from mile marker 34 to mile marker 50 (at the junction of Highway 4 and 501) due to fire activity. Fire equipment and firefighters will be working along Highway 4 and accessing the fire, especially at intersections with FR 10 and FR 280.
The most updated road closure information can be found here: https://www.nmroads.com/mapIndex.html.
The Santa Fe National Forest has issued a closure order for the Cerro Pelado fire area and a second closure order for the Cerro Pelado Firefighter Camp along FR 376. Bandelier National Monument and Valles Caldera National Preserve remain closed due to fire activity until further notice.

Temporary Flight Restriction: There is a flight restriction on the area over the fire (10 nautical miles southwest of Los Alamos, NOTAM 2/2366) to provide a safe environment for firefighting operations. Drones over the fire are also prohibited because their presence can disrupt air resources and pose additional fire hazard. More information: https://tfr.faa.gov/save_pages/detail_2_6919.html.

Tuesday, 05/10/2022 - 1043 hours:
Stage II Fire Restrictions are in effect for the Santa Fe National Forest, which prohibits all campfires and other hazardous activities. Due to ongoing fire threats, Sandoval County will not issue burn permits.
Acreage: 42,491 acres
Containment: 11%
Personnel and Equipment: 871 total personnel; 41 engines, 9 Type 1 hand crews, 11 Type 2 hand crews, 5 Type 2 initial attack crews, 9 helicopters, 2 scooper planes, 10 dozers, 1 masticator, 2 ambulances, 1 rapid medical extraction unit and 15 water tenders. 2 Air National Guard helicopters are on standby..

Evacuations, Shelter Areas:
Los Alamos County remains in “SET” evacuation level. The communities of Cochiti Mesa and the Peralta Canyon area, including Cox Ranch, remain under “GO” evacuation status. Evacuations for Sierra de Los Pinos and Valles Caldera National Preserve remain in “SET” mode, meaning residents should be ready to leave at a moment’s notice. Jemez Springs, La Cueva and Cochiti Lake area remain in “READY” status. Counties will provide updated information on evacuations as needed.

Closures:
Highway 4 remains closed to all traffic from mile marker 34 to mile marker 50 (at the junction of Highway 4 and 501) due to fire activity. Fire equipment and firefighters will be working along Highway 4 and accessing the fire, especially at intersections with FR 10 and FR 280.
The most updated road closure information can be found here: https://www.nmroads.com/mapIndex.html.
The Santa Fe National Forest has issued a closure order for the Cerro Pelado fire area and a second closure order for the Cerro Pelado Firefighter Camp along FR 376. Bandelier National Monument and Valles Caldera National Preserve remain closed due to fire activity until further notice.

Sunday, 05/08/2022 - 1700 hours:
Evacuation Level Change for Los Alamos County & Los Alamos National Lab 5-9
Los Alamos County Emergency Management announced that Los Alamos County and Los Alamos National Lab will move from the READY status to “SET” status at 8 am on Monday, May 9, 2022.

Evacuations, Shelter Areas:
The communities of Cochiti Mesa and the Peralta Canyon area, including Cox Ranch, remain under a “GO” evacuation status. The Sandoval County Fire Department and Emergency Management will provide updated information on evacuations, as needed. Evacuations for Sierra de Los Pinos and Valles Caldera National Preserve remain in “SET” mode, meaning being ready to leave at a moment’s notice.

Closures:
Highway 4 remains closed to all traffic from mile marker 34 to mile marker 50 (at the junction of Hwy 4 and 501) due to fire activity. Fire equipment and firefighters will be working along Highway 4 and accessing the fire, especially at intersections with FR 10 and FR 280. .

Friday, 05/06/2022 - 1510 hours:
Firefighters will continue to work along the perimeter of the fire along Highway 4 on the north, Forest Road (FR) 266 on the west, FR 270 on the south, and FR 289 on the east to improve firelines with thinning and chipping. Tactical fires were used to improve firelines along the northeast corner of the fire, along the Alamo Trail from Highway 4 to FR 289..

Evacuations, Shelter Areas: The communities of Cochiti Mesa and the Peralta Canyon area, including Cox Ranch, remain under a “Go” evacuation status. The Sandoval County Fire Department and Emergency Management will provide updated information on evacuations, as needed. Evacuations for Sierra de Los Pinos remain in “Set” mode, meaning being ready to leave at a moment’s notice. If conditions change and the fire threatens the community again, these areas could return to “Go”. Los Alamos County and Cochiti Lake area remain in “Ready” status.

Closures: Highway 4 remains closed to all traffic from mile marker 30, 14 miles east of Sierra De los Pinos to mile marker 50, 14 miles west of White Rock due to fire activity. Highway 4 is also closed to non-local traffic at mile marker 35 (2 miles east of Sierra De los Pinos).

Wednesday, 05/04/2022 - 1055 hours:
Firefighters will continue to work along the perimeter of the fire along Highway 4 on the north, FR 266 on the west, FR 270 on the south, and FR 289 on the east to improve firelines.
A priority is to improve firelines along the northeast corner of the fire, along the Alamo Trail from Highway 4 to FR 289.

Evacuations, Shelter Areas: The communities of Cochiti Mesa and the Peralta Canyon area, including Cox Ranch, remain under a “Go” evacuation status. The Sandoval County Fire Department and Emergency Management will provide updated information on evacuations, as needed. Evacuations for Sierra de Los Pinos remain in “Set” mode, meaning being ready to leave at a moment’s notice. If conditions change and the fire threatens the community again, these areas could return to “Go”. Los Alamos County remains in “Ready” status.

Tuesday, 05/03/2022 - 1126 hours:
Firefighters will improve firelines along Highway 4 near FR 289 moving west.
Firefighters continue to mop up and protect structures near the Sierra De Los Pinos community and on the northeast side of the fire in the Cochiti Mesa and Peralta Ride communities (including Cox Ranch). They will install hose lay along the Alamo trail to FR 289 on the northeast corner of the fire.
On the east side of the fire, bulldozers will improve firelines along FR 289.
Firefighters will do another firing operation with aerial ignition on the southwest side of the fire near Peralta Ridge to keep fire intensity low near old growth timber. They will continue working along the perimeter of the fire along FR 266 on the west along FR 270 on the south to improve firelines.

Closures: Highway 4 is closed to all traffic from mile marker 34, east of Sierra De los Pinos to mile marker 50, 14 miles west of White Rock due to fire activity. Highway 4 is also closed to non-local traffic at mile marker 35 (2 miles east of Sierra De los Pinos). The most updated road closure information can be found here: https://www.nmroads.com/mapIndex.html

05/01/2022 - 1217 hours:
Highway 4 is closed from mile marker 27 to mile marker 59 do to the Cerro Pelado fire.

05/01/2022 - 0123 hours:
Cerro Pelado fire Sunday update: High wind to push smoke into Los Alamos, Española area; section of N.M. 4 closed again
The fire remains about 7 miles from Lab property, pushing southeast toward Cochiti Mesa. View current fire map. 
Fire officials have again closed N.M. 4 from mile marker 47 east of Sierra los Piños to mile marker 50 west of White Rock. Valles Caldera National Preserve and Bandelier National Monument are closed.
More information on the Cerro Pelado fire can be found here:

4.29.2022 - 811 hours:
There is an evacuation alert for residents of Cochiti Mesa and Peralta Canyon. The Jemez Mountain Baptist Church is still offering space for evacuees.

04/28/2022 - 1112 hours:
Evacuations will be downgraded to “set” for the Sierra de Los Pinos and Cochiti Mesa communities at noon Thursday (4.28.2022). Returning residents should remain in “set” mode, meaning being ready to leave at a moment’s notice. If conditions change and the fire threatens communities again, these areas could return to “go".

Closures: NM Highway 4 will open to local traffic effective Thursday (4.28.2022) at noon. Motorists should drive slowly along the highway with headlights on. Fire equipment and firefighters will be travelling along Highway 4 and accessing the fire, especially at intersections with Forest Service Road 10 and Forest Service Road 280. If heavy traffic impedes firefighting efforts and endangers firefighter safety, Highway 4 could be closed again.

04/27/2022 - 1703 hours:
Click Here to read  : Cerro Pelado fire Wednesday update: Fire largely unchanged, road closures and evacuation orders to continue

04/27/2022 - 1004 hours: UPDATE
Evacuation protocol due to the Cerro Pelado Fire will stay in place and be re-evaluated after the Friday, April 29, 2022 wind event. Authorities will assess the area at that time to determine next steps.

04/25/2022 - 1227 hours:     UPDATE
The area where the Cerro Pelado Fire is located is still under evacuation. Authorities maintain that the fire is still zero percent contained. As a safety precaution, no one is permitted to be in this area. No reports of property damage due to the fire have been confirmed. Authorities ask residents that live or have property in this area to be patient for the time being. There has been no updated information on when residents can return to their homes or properties. A CodeRED alert will indicate when residents can go back to their homes. If you have not signed up for CodeRED and would like to receive alerts go to: https://www.sandovalcountynm.gov/codered/

04/24/2022 - 1500 hours:   UPDATE
No significant growth in Cerro Pelado fire, Type 1 firefighting team now in control.
The Cerro Pelado fire remains at about 3,445 acres and is approximately 10 miles from Laboratory property.
New Mexico State Road 4 remains closed at the intersection of West Jemez Road to the intersection of highway 126 (from mile marker 50 to 30).
Los Alamos County and the Laboratory are implementing Stage 2 fire restrictions beginning Monday, which will prohibit outdoor burning and some work activities.

04/24/2022 - 1000 hours:   ALERT
To any residents impacted by the fire in Jemez, HELPNM will be at the Jemez Mountain Church Sunday 4/24/22 between 1pm and 5pm to issue food vouchers for evacuated residents of the Cerro Pelado Fire. Residents should bring financial information if they have it available or, ID, and something to show the number of family members. If some people cannot be there in person, they are encouraged to call VP Teresa Quintana between 1pm-5pm at 505-660-0829 and she and her team can as

04/23/2022 - 2139 hours:   JOINT NEWS RELEASE
HED: Cerro Pelado fire Saturday update
DEK: Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos County and the National Nuclear Security Administration’s Los Alamos Field Office update community on status of fire currently burning in Jemez mountains

The Cerro Pelado fire burning in the Jemez Mountains remains approximately 10 miles from the Laboratory boundary, according to US Forest Service estimates, and the use of aircraft throughout the day to drop water and fire retardants have been effective in reducing its spread.

New Mexico State Road 4 at mile markers 30 and 50 (where it intersects with West Jemez, or the “back gate”) to the junction of NM 4 with 126 continues to be closed.

A Type 1 incident management team will take control early Sunday morning, and the Laboratory, Los Alamos County and NNSA Field Office are monitoring the fire as a unified response and will continue to provide updates. Emergency operations managers from Los Alamos and Sandoval counties are drawing on the technical expertise of the Laboratory and NNSA, as well as that of the Los Alamos County Fire Department, although LA County Fire Chief Troy Hughes notes that this will have no negative impact on LAFD’s ability to respond to county or LANL calls.

Additional air support is planned through the day tomorrow, and weather predictions are for moderate winds and cool temperatures, providing a good opportunity for fire management to further control the situation.

For further information specific to the fire, check US Forest Service web site.
CONTACTS
LANL:   Jennifer Talhelm   (505) 396-1575   jtalhelm@lanl.gov
Los Alamos County:   Julie Williams-Hill   505-709-8659   505-231-3621   julie.williams@lacnm.us
NNSA:   Toni Chiri   702-290-4430   toni.chiri@nnsa.doe.gov

04/23/2022 - 1835 hours:   UPDATE ON CERRO PELADO FIRE - NO STRUCTURES HAVE BEEN VERIFIED BURNED
Authorities verified that over 4,600 acres of land in the Jemez area have been burned due to the Cerro Pelado Fire. A Type 1 Incident Command will be taking over this scene beginning Sunday (04/24/2022). People are being urged to stay away from this area as it is an ongoing incident. Authorities indicate weather conditions to be better today, but wind is still a factor.

04/23/2022 - 1344 hours:   UPDATE ON CERRO PELADO FIRE
Authorities verified that over 4,600 acres of land in the Jemez area have been burned due to the Cerro Pelado Fire. Several homes have been confirmed burned. A Type 1 Incident Command will be taking over this scene beginning Sunday (04/24/2022). People are being urged to stay away from this area as it is an ongoing incident. Authorities indicate weather conditions to be better today, but wind is still a factor.

04/23/2022 - 1320 hours:   WARNING
Authorities are asking people to stay away from the Jemez Springs area for their own safety. Currently, NM Hwy 126 and portions of NM Hwy 4 are closed due to the Cerro Pelado Fire. Please stay clear of this area. People are still being asked to evacuate the area at this time.

04/23/2022 - 0922 hours:   NOTICE
State Aging and Long Term Services will be at the Jemez Mountain Baptist Church located at 6 Riverview Ct, Jemez Springs, NM 87025 Saturday (04/23/2022) from 3pm-7pm to issue food vouchers for evacuated and displaced residents of the Cerro Pelado Fire near La Cueva. Those requesting vouchers will need to bring proof of identity, proof of family size, and account information for direct deposit otherwise, a check will be provided.

04/22/2022 - 1714 hours:   ANIMAL PLACEMENT
For anyone looking for a place to take their animals due to the Cerro Pelado Fire, another alternative besides Expo New Mexico is the Sandoval County Sheriff’s Posse Arena, located at 1043 Rodeo Ln, Bernalillo, NM 87004. Call Yvette Arnold at 505-263-6388

04/22/2022 - 1645 hours:   UPDATE
Fire crews are currently evacuating Cochiti Mesa. This fire stems from the Jemez Springs fire on Hwy 4 where earlier 200 people had to be evacuated.