COUNTY News:

Due to the Cerro Pelado Fire, which continues to burn approximately 3.5 miles from LANL property and approximately 7 miles from the Los Alamos Townsite, the Los Alamos County Community Services Department (CSD) and its divisions have shifted to telework.

By reducing the number of people physically on-site where possible to ensure the County is better prepared if conditions change.

The change in staffing will affect public facilities and planned meetings until further notice:

• The planned May 10 Pueblo Canyon Trail meeting is canceled until a later date.
• The Los Alamos and White Rock Senior Centers will be closed; however, the meal service
  will continue through the home delivered service, Meals on Wheels and the drive-thru.
• Open Gym Programs at Los Alamos Public Schools are canceled;
• The Los Alamos County Ice Rink is closed;
• The Los Alamos County Golf Course is closed;
• The Los Alamos County Aquatic Center is closed;
• The Los Alamos County Public Library, both in Los Alamos and White Rock are closed;
• The Los Alamos Nature Center is closed;
• All unpaved Los Alamos County trails are closed to recreational use;
• Fuller Lodge Art Center is closed; but this may change as plans are re-evaluated;
• The Los Alamos History Museum plans to remain open through the “set” phase;
• The NMSU Co-op Extension office will be closed, but reachable via phone or email;
• The Los Alamos Teen Center plans to remain open, to provide a space for kids to congregate
  during the “set” phase;
• The Youth Activity Centers will be closed; and
• The Family Strengths Network (FSN) will be open its normal hours, however Chit Chat
  playtime and Adventures are canceled.

Overlook Park will be closed to the public starting today, May 9 through the end of May, to accommodate additional US Forest Service (USFS) fire support. Additional information will be released in a separate press release.

The Los Alamos Public Library encourages patrons who have items due for return, to please call. At which time the Library will change the due dates of all items (regardless of item type) to one month out from the moment of the call.

Los Alamos National Laboratory and Los Alamos County entered Stage 3 fire restrictions May 7, which
means Department of Energy-maintained and County unpaved trails also are closed to all recreational use, campfires and charcoal grilling are prohibited, and other restrictions are in place, click here for more information.

The Laboratory and Los Alamos County are in the “set” phase of “ready, set, go,” as a precautionary measure only, meaning there is no emergency but residents and employees should have a plan in case they need to leave the area in case of an evacuation order.

“Set” means Los Alamos-area residents should create an evacuation plan, a “go bag” and a communication plan that includes area evacuation and contact information and be sure to pay close attention to news and information about the fire. Residents can be proactive about the potential for evacuation, reaching out to friends and/or family for potential accommodations, as hotels are already becoming filled with evacuees from other fires.

Currently, there are no plans to evacuate the Lab or the County at this time.

IF the County moves to the “Go” phase, officials anticipate that it would require only residents from the Los Alamos townsite to evacuate. At this point, the White Rock area does not appear that it would be in the path of the fire and would remain in the “set” phase; however, White Rock residents should still be prepared in the event that circumstances change.

Residents can learn about evacuation status via the Laboratory’s web page, the Los Alamos County Cerro Pelado Fire Updates page and the community’s CodeRED alert system. Sign up for Los Alamos County’s CodeRED emergency alerts by texting LOSALAMOS to 99411.

Also, a step-by-step guide to signing up for CodeRED can be watched on YouTube. More information about packing a “go bag” and other information about evacuations is available on this Federal Emergency Management Agency website. Shelter information is available here.

Again, LANL and the County have no plans to evacuate the time of this publication.