Strong Winds Fuel NM Cooks Peak Fire

Apr. 22—With wind gusts of 60 to 80 mph forecast in Northern New Mexico and several areas already ablaze, fire officials spoke about Friday's weather as if they were sitting atop dynamite.

They might be.

"We've got to prepare for the worst," National Weather Service meteorologist Scott Overpeck said during a briefing Thursday that was called hastily to address the looming threat as thousands of acres continued burning in the state and a new wildfire ignited. "Rapid fire growth is a real concern," he added.

Gusts that strong can damage or down barns, trees and power lines, he said, adding the latter can cause fires.

"These winds from the southwest will be picking up a lot of dust," possibly limiting visibility, Overpeck said.

The winds are a result of a strong storm system set to move across the state, according to the weather service. Winds are expected to pick up Friday morning, reaching 30 mph to 50 mph in the afternoon, with gusts mostly in the 60 mph to 80 mph range.

State Forestry Division spokeswoman Wendy Mason provided perspective on Friday's possible perfect storm.

"I've been in New Mexico 15 years, and we've had winds, but never" at the volume seen recently, she said.

Shortly after, state and federal officials announced a new fire — at least the fourth this week — in the Datil Mountains of the Cibola National Forest and National Grasslands. It was estimated at 15 to 20 acres and was burning about three miles from the community of Datil, home to just a couple of dozen residents west of Magdalena.

The Cooks Peak Fire that sparked Sunday north of Ocate in Mora County had more than doubled in size overnight, ballooning to 21,200 acres from 8,000 with zero percent containment, according to Thursday estimates. High winds already were a factor in fighting the blaze, which was burning on a mix of private, state and Bureau of Land Management property, according to an update on the New Mexico Fire Information website.

The cause of the rapidly spreading fire was still under investigation.

Firefighting aircraft were grounded as a result of the winds, and the Mora County Sheriff's Office was helping to evacuate residents along N.M. 120, according to the site, which is jointly operated by state and federal agencies.

A 12-mile stretch of highway that runs through Ocate, a community of about 300 people, has been closed, and mandatory evacuations have been ordered for homes on N.M. 120 and in areas east of County Road 009 and north of N.M. 120.

Other communities, including Cimarron, and the Boy Scouts of America's Philmont Scout Ranch were advised to prepare for evacuation if conditions worsen.

Evacuation centers were being prepared at schools in Las Vegas, Wagon Mound and Mora, and several facilities were ready to assist with evacuated horses and livestock.

That rugged and remote area of Northern New Mexico has faced the devastation of wildfire in recent years.

The 37,000-acre Ute Park Fire in Colfax County wreaked havoc on Cimarron's water supply in 2018 and tore through the scout ranch, torching 26,000 acres of backcountry terrain and 14 outbuildings. The damage forced Philmont to shut down for the first time in its history and cancel scheduled treks.

For updates on evacuation requirements, visit facebook.com/moracountysheriffoffice.

Closer to Las Vegas, the Hermits Peak Fire was 91 percent contained, according to the fire information website. It had burned 7,573 acres, and 358 personnel were involved in fighting it.

Crews had success along the southern edge of the fire Wednesday and were focusing on the northern edge Thursday, the update states. For information about possible evacuations and road closures, visit facebook.com/smcso.nm.

The nearby Calf Canyon Fire, which ignited Tuesday, remained zero percent contained, though it was still at 123 acres.

In Valencia County near Jarales, the new Simona Fire, detected Wednesday, was estimated at 165 acres and zero percent containment. It was burning on both sides of the Rio Grande, but no buildings were threatened and no evacuation orders were in place.

Stage 2 fire restrictions were set to take effect at 8 a.m. Friday in the Santa Fe National Forest, the U.S. Forest Service said in a news release.

The following activities will be prohibited: building or maintaining any type of fire; smoking, except within an enclosed vehicle or building; blasting, welding or operating an acetylene or other torch with an open flame; using an explosive of any kind; operating equipment powered by an internal combustion engine between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m.; and driving off designated roads.

The National Parks Service announced similar Stage 2 fire restrictions for its Pueblo Parks Group, which includes Bandelier National Monument, Fort Union National Monument, Pecos National Historical Park and the Valles Caldera National Preserve.

Carlsbad Caverns National Park on Thursday announced overnight camping, overnight backcountry trips and propane stove use were banned amid the heightened fire risk.

The park previously announced bans on open flames and cooking stoves in the backcountry, as well as smoking, except in personal vehicles, and charcoal and wood fires.

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