Las Conchas Fire in New Mexico grows to 60,000 acres

Posted on June 28, 2011 by Bob Berwyn

Smoke from the Las Conchas Fire fills the sky above Española, New Mexico. PHOTO BY BOB BERWYN.

Los Alamos evacuated; fire burns in remote area of nuclear lab

By Summit Voice

ESPANOLA — Thick smoke filled the area from Santa Fe to Española and beyond Tuesday, as the Las Conchas wildfire burned unchecked in tinder try ponderosa pine forests near Los Alamos. The fire grew by 20,000 acres Tuesday to expand across a 60,000-acre footprint.

At last report Tuesday evening, the fire was still completely uncontained. Detailed info updated constantly at New Mexico Fire Info.

The acting Los Alamos County administrator has issued an evacuation order for his town, and the nearby town of White Rock is under a voluntary evacuation order. Evacuations may be ordered for other towns near the forest depending on the spread of the fire.

Las Conchas wildfire in New Mexico.

The fire has spread to a remote area of the Los Alamos Nuclear Laboratory, but officials say there is no danger to any of the radioactive materials used and stored at the lab. The lab has been closed temporarily.

The fire is also burning near Bandolier National Monument. Crews are trying to stop the fire’s westward advance by building direct containment lines, and working to halt the northward spread beyond Pajarito Road with burnout operations. The monument is also closed until further notice. About 315 firefighters are battling the blaze.

Filed under: Colorado, forest fires, Forest health, forests, Summit County Colorado, Summit County news, US Forest Service | Tagged: , , , , , , | Leave a Comment »

Pacheco Fire in New Mexico still growing

Posted on June 23, 2011 by Bob Berwyn

Ski area, Tesuque Pueblo lands and communications site threatened

The Pacheco Fire in New Mexico continues to spread in extreme fire conditions.

The Pacheco Fire is generating huge smoke plumes. Click on the image to see the photo gallery from the fire. PHOTO COURTESY BRAD TAISEY, VIA INCIWEB.

By Summit Voice

SUMMIT COUNTY — The 5,500 acre Pacheco Fire is expected to keep burning farther to the north throughout the weekend due to extreme weather conditions forecast for northern New Mexico the next few days. The fire, burning on national forest lands near Santa Fe, is generating towering smoke plumes reaching an altitude of 27,000 feet.

Temperatures have been reaching as high as 80 degrees with relative humidities in the single digits.

In an update posted late on June 23, fire officials say the fire remains within containment lines, but it could grow to threaten the Santa Fe watershed, the Santa Fe ski area, Tesuque Pueblo lands and the Tesuque Peak communications site. The fire is burning about two miles north of Santa Fe Ski Basin. Photos are online here. (more…)

Filed under: climate and weather, Environment, forest fires, Forest health, forests, pine beetles and wildfires, US Forest Service | Tagged: , , , , , , , | Leave a Comment »

U.S. Wildfires have scorched 2.5 million acres this year

Posted on May 11, 2011 by Bob Berwyn

The Horseshoe Two Fire in Arizona. PHOTO BY MICHELLE FIDLER.

The average for this time of year is 857,000 acres; extreme fire conditions continue across Texas, Southwest

By Summit Voice

SUMMIT COUNTY — Fire officials say they’ve achieved 95 percent containment of the 17,500-acre Tunner Fire that burned on the border of Colorado and Kansas in the Cimarron National Grasslands, about four miles north of Elkhart, Kansas.

The cause of the fire is still under investigation. The fire burned in short grass and is still creeping and smoldering within the perimeter but crews will demobilize some resources and start rehabilitation in the next few days.

Across the country, the National Interagency Fire Center is reporting seven new large fires in the past 24 hours. Major fires are burning in Texas (9), New Mexico (7), Arizona (5), Florida (3), and one each in Georgia, California, Kansas and North Carolina.

This year to-date more than 25,000 fires have burned across 2.55 million acres, the most in the past 10 years and four times the average. The only year that came close was 2006, with 2.33 million acres burned through the first week of May. By comparison, last year the total was 335,000 acres. The 10-year average is 857,000 acres. (more…)

Filed under: climate and weather, Colorado, Environment, La Niña, Summit County Colorado, Summit County news, wildfires | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a Comment »

Wildfires: New Mexico and Florida the latest hotspots

Posted on May 9, 2011 by Bob Berwyn

Incident commander Rob Shackelford views flames at the Pains Bay Fire in North Carolina. PHOTO BY B STRAWSER, USFWS.

Structures threatened in Gila Hot Springs, N.M. and the Big Cypress Preserve in Florida

By Summit Voice

SUMMIT COUNTY — While cooler weather and somewhat higher relative humidities have helped firefighters control a number of huge wildfire in Texas, the 3,600-acre Schwartz Fire, 20 miles east of Marathon, is growing quickly in dormant brush, hardwood slash and tall grass fuels.

The fire, which started May 7, is only 5 percent contained and threatens to move east quickly under gusty winds, highs around 100 degrees and 3 percent relative humidity. Click here to get all Texas wildfire updates from the Texas Forest Service.

Dangerous new blazes have been reported in South Carolina, Florida and New Mexico, where the 27,000 Miller Fire, near Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument, has forced the evacuation of Gila Hot Springs. (more…)

Filed under: climate and weather, Colorado, Environment, forest fires, Summit County Colorado, Summit County news, US Forest Service | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a Comment »

« Previous Page
Follow

Get every new post delivered to your Inbox.

Join 5,562 other followers