The wind has changed direction from overnight, but otherwise no notable improvements in the behavior of the El Cajete Fire has been observed, with 0 percent of the over 700 acre blaze contained. The good news is that no human casualties or damage to property have been reported, with firefighters taking measures to save structures in the path of the flames. They have been conducting back burns between the fire and people’s homes to create protection zones.
Air temperatures are high, and humidity levels low; forecasts call for these conditions to continue into the foreseeable future, leaving no option but “full suppression” for the fire on part of the firefighting crews. The fire continue to head in a southeasterly direction, just as it was yesterday. Also, just as through most of the day yesterday, NM Highway 4 remains closed from its intersection with NM Highway 126, above which, on the stretch leading to Valle Grande, the worst fire conditions are occurring.
Residents who need to get back to their homes to rescue pets and valuables need to travel to marker 27 on NM Highway 4, where the Sandoval County Sheriff’s office has set up an escort. Lynn Kito of the Jemez Animal Amigos has been venturing into residential areas near the fire zones to rescue animals that have been stranded in people’s homes. Los Alamos County Animal Shelter has taken all of its animals to Santa Fe to make room for the pets displaced by the fire.
So far, the shelter has received two Labradors. This morning, they are sending a response team to assist Animal Amigos in finding shelter for 50 animals. The county has also opened up the North Mesa Stables to livestock evacuated by the fire.
The Fire appears to have started one mile northeast of Vallecitos de los Indios. The fire area runs along the East Fork of the Jemez River and is to the west of the burn scars from the 2011 Las Conchas Fire and the 2013 Thompson Ridge Fire.
There are sbout 130 personnel on scene today with multiple engines, one bulldozer, Type 1 helicopter, three air tankers, a Very Large Air Tanker (VLAT), lead plane and air attack.
This is so far labeled a Type 3 Incident with a high probability of escalating, and a Type 1 IC Team is en route. Meanwhile, the Forest Service reports that fire crews established a good anchor on the west side of the fire yesterday. The strategy is full suppression. Crews are working to establish perimeter control with structure and other point protection. The first priority is always firefighter and public safety.
There have beeen no further evacuations ordered today; the one’s yesterday brought safety to several communities that included Ruby Holt Plat, Los Griegos and Sierra de Los Pinos. Still, depending on the fire’s behavior, additional evacuations may be necessary. The public is asked to avoid the area..
The public is reminded that drones pose a serious risk to firefighting and can cause air operations to cease and is asked not to fly them into or anywhere near the fire area.