ZERO PERCENT CONTAINED
Blaze fueled by wind, dry conditions, high temperatures
Fueled by winds and high temperatures, the Dog Head Fire in the Manzano Mountains continued its relentless march north and east Thursday, with officials saying Thursday night that the blaze had blackened more than 16,000 acres and was zero percent contained.
Chilili and several other communities were evacuated, and at least 10 structures were burned in the Chilili area. But fire officials could not say how many of those structures were homes.
A flight crew using an infrared camera at 2:30 a.m. Thursday determined that the fire had charred roughly 12,303 acres, or about 19 square miles. The blaze continued unabated throughout the day, fueled by wind, dry conditions and high temperatures. Incident commander Richard Nieto said that by Thursday evening the fire had burned more than 16,000 acres.
Fire officials said they would be unable to determine precisely how much more land was blackened until another infrared photo could be taken early this morning.
The contingent fighting the blaze also grew from 435 at midday to more than 600 by nightfall. A convoy of six air tankers and helicopters dropped fire retardant and water directly on the flames, while ground crews built fire lines.
Red flag weather conditions continued into Thursday night, with
sustained winds blowing at 15 mph and gusts ranging from 25 to 30 mph.
Gov. Susana Martinez took to the air in a National Guard helicopter on Thursday to look over the devastation.
“This is a serious fire,” Martinez said Thursday evening during a news conference at Estancia Middle School, where the command center for the firefighters is located. “We want to make sure New Mexicans understand that.”
The Dog Head Fire broke out Tuesday morning in a remote section of the national forest, about 1.5 miles north of the Fourth of July Campground. Fire officials said they believe the fire was human caused, but it is still under investigation.
It stayed at a modest 2,000 acres through Wednesday. However, high winds late Wednesday and early Thursday forced the fire north and east to encompass another 12,000 acres.
While the expectation is that fires will settle somewhat during night hours when the air cools and the humidity tends to rise, the Dog Head Fire did the opposite. From 1 a.m. to 6 a.m. Thursday, winds helped increase the size of the fire.
“It was a major run of about 10 miles,” Nieto said.
He said that command of the fire will transition over the next several days to a Type 1 team, which is a more experienced team when it comes to these types of fires.
“We want everyone to know, we’re in this for the long haul,” Nieto said. “This could go as long as seven to 10 days and we’ll be here.”
A mandatory evacuation area in Bernalillo County extended from the junction of N.M. 217 and 337 south to the Torrance County line and involved the communities of Chilili, Mercid, Escobosa, Yrisarri and Ponderosa Pines.
A mandatory evacuation area in Torrance County was bounded to the north by the Torrance County line, to the south by N.M. 55, to the east by Peacock Road (County Road 30), and to the west by the Manzano Mountains.
Nieto said that no other major evacuations were planned, but cautioned that could change.
“It all depends on the conditions,” Nieto said. “If you live nearby, you should be prepared in case the order comes down.”
Evacuation centers were established in Estancia at the Torrance County Fairgrounds (for people and pets), and in Tijeras at the Los Vecinos Community Center.
The Red Cross provided lunch and dinner to about 20 people at the community center who were displaced because of the evacuation. Clare Ryan, a Red Cross disaster program manager, said it was not known how those numbers might fluctuate into the night.
Electric power in the evacuation areas was shut off at 4 p.m. for safety reasons. Questions regarding access to electricity should be directed to PNM at 888-342-5766, or Central New Mexico Electric Co-op at 505-832-4483.
Health alerts
A smoke advisory issued by the New Mexico Environment Department and the New Mexico Department of Health on Wednesday remains in effect. Increased smoke concentrations are expected throughout the weekend, especially in communities closest to the Dog Head Fire, the North Fire south of Magdalena, and the Cedar Fire in eastern Arizona.
Health alerts were issued for Albuquerque, but the Dog Head Fire was not to blame for those.
The city’s Environmental Health Department’s Air Quality Program issued a health alert Thursday, beginning at 9 p.m. through noon today. Satellite imagery released by the city showed a large plume of smoke from the Cedar Fire near Show Low, Ariz., moving toward central New Mexico. That smoke is expected to settle into the Rio Grande Valley tonight, reducing visibility across the Albuquerque area.
Jeff Stonesifer, a meteorologist with the city Environmental Health Department’s Air Quality Program, said smoke from the Dog Head Fire never really affected Albuquerque. Smoke that appeared in the city Wednesday afternoon was from the North Fire near Magdalena. “That started to clear out and was replaced Thursday by smoke from the Cedar Fire in Arizona,” he said.
State of emergency
Gov. Martinez on Thursday issued an executive order declaring a state of emergency in Bernalillo and Torrance. The order makes state emergency funding up to $750,000 available for “resources and services necessary to avoid and minimize economic and physical harm until the situation becomes stabilized and again under local self-support and control.”
Further, the governor announced that the state has secured federal funding from the Fire Management Assistance Grant, approved by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, to cover 75 percent of the costs associated with fighting the Dog Head Fire. Those costs include pre-positioning of resources, evacuations and sheltering, traffic control and fire equipment.
Martinez said she has deployed the New Mexico National Guard to “man roadways and go door to door in those areas that have been evacuated to assure that people have left.”
She urged people to leave the areas where evacuations have been ordered.
“Homes can be replaced, cars can be replaced but your life and the lives of those you love cannot,” Martinez said.
Responders are duty-bound to check on those who stay behind, she said.
“There is someone in a uniform who is going to go back and try to save you,” Martinez said. “By not evacuating, you are putting these individuals in danger.”
Archbishop John C. Wester of the Archdiocese of Santa Fe on Thursday issued a statement regarding the wildfire: “I pray for all those in harm’s way and for all first responders and volunteers fighting the fire. The Archdiocese of Santa Fe joins all in prayer and stands ready to support in any way those who are affected by this emergency.”
The archbishop also offered a prayer for rain.
Unfortunately, the forecast from the Albuquerque office of the National Weather Service does not include much of a chance of rain for at least a week.
Today, U.S. Rep. Michelle Lujan Grisham, D-N.M., will visit the East Mountain communities affected by the Dog Head Fire.
“Like all New Mexicans, I want to help however I can,” she said. “I want to ensure everyone involved in this effort has the resources they need.”
Her staff will hold mobile office hours today from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Tijeras Senior Center, 10 Tijeras Ave., across the street from the temporary shelter at Los Vecinos Community Center.
Hygiene kits
In an act of solidarity with the people affected by the Dog Head Fire, inmates at the Penitentiary of New Mexico donated hygiene kits and supplies for up to 40 displaced families. The kits included towels, toothbrushes, toothpaste, soap, deodorant, toilet paper, bottled water and snacks.
The items in the kits were purchased in the prison commissary by the inmates, using credits that they earned in their prison jobs.
“We try and teach inmates responsibility,” said New Mexico Corrections Department Chief Deputy Secretary Joe Booker.
“We encourage selfless acts from those within our custody and hope that this spirit of generosity will continue when these men leave our walls and re-enter our communities.”