Las Conchas Wildfire – Day 7
Containment doubled to 11% from yesterday, and they are beginning the remediation assessments for the areas burned-over.
There was some rain in the fire area, but the same storm also started a fire with lightning, because the vegetation is so dry.
Information from the current Las Conchas Wildfire InciWeb Page
- Date Started: 6/26/2011
- Location: Jemez Ranger District, Santa Fe National Forest; approximately 12 miles southwest of Los Alamos off NM 4 at mile marker 35, New Mexico
- Cause: Unknown – under investigation
- Size: 121,248 acres [189 miles² 491 km²] based on infrared data
- Percent Contained: 11%
- Injuries to Date: 0
- Residences: 450 threatened; 63 destroyed; 3 damaged
- Commercial Property: 55 threatened; 5 destroyed; 3 damaged
- Outbuildings: 140 threatened; 32 destroyed; damaged
- Other: destroyed
- Number of Personnel: Approximately 1,995 including hotshot crews and 54 hand crews
- Equipment: 5 dozers, 68 engines, 28 watertenders
- Aircraft: 18 helicopters, air tankers
- Incident Commander: Dan Oltrogge, Area Command Team 1
Firefighters made good progress yesterday. Overcast skies and higher relative humidity played a vital role in moderating fire behavior. Some rain was received on portions of the fire. There was no major movement of the fire today, and firefighters were able to get handline around the northeast corner of the fire. A lightning strike started a small fire east of White Rock which was quickly contained by numerous fire resources.
Firefighting activities focus on protecting communities, watersheds, and other important features. Several communities around the fire include Los Alamos, White Rock, Vallecitos (in Los Alamos County), Recheulos, Town of Cochiti Lake, Cochiti Pueblo, Jemez Pueblo, and Vallecitos de Indios Subdivision. Other concerns include numerous communication sites, the New Mexico natural gas pipeline, Cerro Pelado Lookout, extensive cultural and archeological sites, watersheds and riparian areas.
The south and north zone fire boundaries were changed this morning. The south zone has been expanded to include all land north of Vallecitos de Los Indios along the boundary of the Valles Caldera. A third incident management team was ordered for the fire today and they will arrive tomorrow.
[For the latest information click on the Fire symbol, or go to the CATEGORIES drop-down box below the CALENDAR and select “Fires” for all of the posts related to wildfires on this site.]
