The Thompson Ridge Fire on the Valles Caldera National Preserve Wednesday, June 5, 2013. Photo by Robert Beberniss
Thompson Ridge Fire Update
Thursday June 6, 2013 9 a.m.
Acres: 12,171; Start date: May 31, 2013; Cause: Downed powerline; Location: Valles Caldera National Preserve; Containment: 5 percent; Fuels: Mixed conifer and Ponderosa pine; Terrain: Steep, rugged; Resources: 23 crews, 36 engines, 8 water tenders, 2 dozers; Total personnel: 816 Available air support: 3 air tankers, 7 helicopters.
Summary: Yesterday and last night, lower temperatures and slightly higher humidity created more favorable conditions on the fire. The west perimeter control line showed no heat last night. The north perimeter control line had burnout operations throughout the night extending east to Valles Caldera (VC) Road 02. The east control line continues to be prepared and improved along VC Road 02 south to the Valles Caldera Headquarters Historic District. The south control line along VC Road 02 will continue to be prepared and improved while monitoring the Redondo Peak south facing slopes.
Today, the most activity is anticipated in the northeast portion of the interior, with some portions of the north interior filling in isolated pockets of fuels.
Please follow the Thompson Ridge Fire on Twitter at www.twitter.com/ThompsonRdgFire.
Evacuations: An evacuation order remains in effect for Thompson Ridge, Rancho de la Cueva and Elk Valley.
Smoke: Smoke from the Thompson Ridge Fire is evident in several communities. Communities in the region will be impacted by that smoke and that from other fires in the area. Smoke sensitive persons in these areas need to be alert to this possibility and be prepared to take any necessary precautions. For more smoke information and air quality forecasts, please visit the New Mexico Environment Department’s website at http://www.nmenv.state.nm.us/aqb and https://nmtracking.org/fire.
Road and Fire Area Closure: All points of entry to the Valles Caldera National Preserve are closed to public access due to fire activity. The Fenton Lake State Park is also closed to the public.
Open and active: Communities in and around the Santa Fe National Forest remain open and accessible including Jemez Springs, Jemez Pueblo, Santa Clara Pueblo, Los Alamos and Bandelier National Monument. Camping, hiking and other recreational opportunities are available in the area. For more information regarding the fire, visit www.inciweb.org.
The Thompson Ridge Fire on the Valles Caldera National Preserve Wednesday, June 5, 2013. Photo by Robert Beberniss
Tres Lagunas Fire
Acres: 9,578; Cause: downed power line; Start Date: May 30, 2013; Containment: 24 percent; Location: 10 miles North of Pecos; Fuels: Timber; Total personnel: 931 Terrain: steep, rugged;
NO PUBLIC MEETING TONIGHT
Today’s Actions: Crews will take advantage of yesterday’s wet weather and continue to construct direct firelines and dozer lines to some of the most active fire areas which include the Northwest corner of the Holy Ghost Canyon. Direct firelines will also be constructed around the Southeast spot fires located West of Forest Rd. 92. Burnout operations were not conducted around these spot fires due to weather conditions.
The road block on Highway 63 moved further north in the Pecos canyon to the Windy Bridge Day Use area at approximately mile marker 15.5. Individuals residing south of Windy Bridge have been allowed to return back to this area. Due to heavy fire traffic, please avoid driving on the highway before 8 a.m. and after 5 p.m. Residents are urged to drive slow use extreme caution. Areas north of Windy Bridge remain under evacuation. Forest Road 92 two miles north of the Bull Creek road remains closed.
The Mora-San Miguel Electric Coop and Century Link personnel will be escorted into the fire area by fire management personnel to assess any possible damage to their facilities and begin to make any necessary repairs. For more information about the restoration of power, contact the Mora-San Miguel Electric Coop at 575-387-2205. For more information about Century Link service, call 1-800-788-3600. Photos taken of Holy Ghost Canyon, Indian Creek, Tres Lagunas and other areas of the fire have been posted to the Inciweb website and are available for download. Go to inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/3401 and click on the photos link.
Today’s weather: Higher humidity will continue today with quite a bit of cloud cover especially mid/late afternoon. An overall drying and warming trend starts up on Friday. Temperatures will be well above normal by Sunday.
Smoke: Winds will be out of the Southwest pushing smoke to communities located northeast of the fire. Information on wildland fire smoke and your health can be found on the New Mexico Department of Health’s website at https://nmtracking.org/fire.
