Public Safety

Extreme Fire Danger Conditions Surround Forest

SFNF News:

The fire danger on the Santa Fe National Forest is currently EXTREME. During times of extreme fire danger, fires start quickly, spread furiously and burn intensely. All fires are potentially serious.

FIRE DANGER DESCRIPTIONS

A fire danger rating is established locally for each public land unit in the Southwest Area. These danger ratings are based on fuel types (i.e. grass, brush, slash, or timber), fuel moisture content (i.e. 10-hour fuel sticks), weather (i.e. precipitation, relative humidity, temperature, cloud cover, etc), station elevation, among others. Each afternoon Read More

Judge Finds Probable Cause in Infant Abuse Case

Defendant Tyrell Abney during a brief break in court proceedings at the Justice Center Wednesday afternoon. Photo by Carol A. Clark/ladailypost.com

By Carol A. Clark

During a preliminary hearing Wednesday in Magistrate Court, Judge Pat Casados found probable cause that Tyrell Abney of Los Alamos commited the crime of child abuse in the first degree last month against his infant son.

Abney, 18, faces a mandatory 18 years in prison if convicted.

It came out during the hearing that although originally reported to be 11 weeks old when the alleged abuse occurred May 16 at the family’s Gold Read More

Colorado Peak Fire Captured Across the County

Colorado Peak Fire shot Wednesday from Overlook Park in White Rock. The fire was reported at 2:36 p.m. Wednesday in the Española Ranger District, Santa Fe National Forest; approximately 10 miles northwest of the Santa Fe Airport and had grown to 360 acres as of the last report issued Wednesday afternoon. The cause of the fire is under investigation. The Los Alamos Daily Post will publish the next update on this fire as soon as it is received from the forest service, which should be soon. Photo by TK Thompson/ladailypost.com

Colorado Peak Fire shot Wednesday from Pajarito Acres in White Rock. Photo Read More

Colorado Peak Fire – Evening Update

SANTA FE NATIONAL FOREST News
Colorado Peak Fire
Evening Update

Fire Name: Bear Springs

Time/Date Reported: 2:36 p.m. on Wednesday, June 6, 2012

Location: Española Ranger District, Santa Fe National Forest; approximately 10 miles northwest of the Santa Fe Airport

Legal Description: T17N, R7E, Sec 30

Cause: Unknown, under investigation

Fuels: Piñon/juniper, slash and brush. The Caja del Rio plateau has open, patchy vegetation.

Size: 360 acres

% Contained: 0

Resources Committed: 156 personnel including: 3 Type 1 crews, 4 Type 2 crews, 3 engines, 2 Type 1 helicopters, and 2 dozers.

Today’s Read More

Bear Springs Fire: Firefighters Execute Successful Burnout Operation Today

SANTA FE NATIONAL FOREST News
Bear Springs Fire
June 6, 2012 – 9 p.m.

Summary: The relatively low intensity burnout tactic used today was very successful, leaving no significant pockets of unburned fuel and no spot fires. Residual spot fires from last night’s operations were detected and suppressed. The burnout was very clean, resulting in little to no impact to natural and cultural resources. At times, smoke was voluminous due to burning in heavy fuels, but areas with lighter fuels produced very little visible smoke.

Enough progress was made today that some crews will be released tomorrow, Read More

Breaking News: Fire 8 miles south of White Rock

This fire is now visible from Los Alamos.

 

Santa Fe National Forest Fire Management Information
Wednesday, June 6, 2012

Below is fire information regarding the Colorado Peak Fire that was discovered today. The fire is located in the Caja del Rio on the Santa Fe National Forest between Cochiti and Santa Fe.

Today residents from north of Albuquerque to Santa Fe will see smoke. Fuels on the ground are dry due to the lack of moisture and are creating a fair amount of smoke. The Colorado Peak Fire is at 50 acres and moving north. Firefighters and a helotanker are entroute.

Colorado Peak Fire, Espanola Read More

Bear Springs Fire June 6 Update

SFNF News:

Firefighters hope to gain the upper hand on the Bear Springs Fire with burnout operations today.

The fire, which began at 6:36 p.m. June 3 is burning in the Jemez Ranger District, Santa Fe National Forest, six miles northeast of Ponderosa and six mile southeast of Jemez Springs.

A lightning strike caused the fire, which has burned 400 acres of mixed conifer and ponderosa pine to date.

The fire is 10 percent contained as 190 personnel including four Type 1 crews, three Type 2 crews, three engines, one Type 1 helicopter, three Type 3 helicopters, two water tenders and two dozers battle the Read More

Bear Springs Fire Update – June 5 Evening

FIREFIGHTERS PREPARE CONTINGENCY LINES FOR BURNOUT OPERATIONS ON WEDNESDAY

Today, crews prepared indirect containment lines for tomorrow’s activity, which will consist of introducing fire on ridge tops north of the fire, and allowing the fire to back downhill to the indirect containment lines. This tactic, called a burnout, will reduce or remove fuel in advance of the fire front, leaving little or nothing to burn.

The historical Bear Springs cabins have survived the fire thus far, although fire approached the cabins today. Structure protection crews removed fuel around the cabins yesterday, Read More

Local Boy Confesses to Lighting Stable Fires

LAPD News:

Los Alamos Police report that three local boys ranging in age from 10 to 12 are implicated in three small fires started today at the Los Alamos Horse Stables on North Mesa.

One of the boys has confessed and all three boys have been referred to the juvenile probation officer.

Police began investigating the fires that broke out within minutes of each other this afternoon.

“It seems too much of a coincidence in the way the fires broke out and the close proximity to each other,” Capt. Randy Foster said earlier today. “The largest of the three fires grew to about 10 feet by 10 Read More

Police Probe Suspicious Fires at Horse Stables

LAPD News:

Los Alamos Police are investigating three small fires that broke out within minutes of each other this afternoon at the Los Alamos Horse Stables on North Mesa.

“It seems too much of a coincidence in the way the fires broke out and the close proximity to each other,” Capt. Randy Foster said. “The largest of the three fires grew to about 10 feet by 10 feet in size.”

Foster added that the fires were put out quickly and no animals or property were harmed.

  Read More