June 27, 2011

Los Alamos NM evacuated from fires – Labs closed: Boycott fireworks in NM, fires all over the state (photos) ²

All, Natural Disasters, News: US • Tags: Belen, boycott fireworks, closed, evacuated, fires, forest fires, Jemez Mountains, LANL, Las Conchas fire, Los Alamos, Los Alamos National Labs, New Mexico, NM, NM Fires, radioactive materials safe, Taos County

Please, everyone in New Mexico… BOYCOTT ALL FIREWORKS THIS YEAR!

Fires are erupting all over the state, no rain in site.

Page on Facebook in support of this boycott (must be logged into FB): Click here

Los Alamos evacuated as Las Conchas fire grows

A mandatory evacuation for the City of Los Alamos is in effect Monday (June 27) as the Las Conchas wildfire threatens the area.

Eletha Trujillo with the Taos County Office of Emergency Management said the primary health concern for Taos County residents was the smoke from the fire that has settled in the area.

Trujillo said the forecast tonight is for cooler temperatures and calming winds, meaning Taoseños might wake up to especially smoky conditions tomorrow (June 28). She recommended that people with health conditions stay indoors and asked that drivers be especially cautious because of limited visability.

Trujillo said that she did not perceive any risk of radiation in the smoke from Los Alamos. Officials at the labs have insisted that all radioactive materials are safely stored and do not pose a threat. A spokesman from the lab could not immediately be reached for comment.

According to a Monday afternoon incident update on the fire, it had grown to nearly 44,000 acres and was 0 percent contained. The Los Alamos National Labs (LANL) were also closed to nonessential personnel Monday.

According to information from Los Alamos County, the evacuation of three areas was taking place Monday, with the groups being notified by “reverse 911.”

Group one includes Western, Quemazon and Ponderosa; group two includes North Community, Barranca Mesa and North Mesa; and group three includes East of Diamond and the rest of the town. Evacuees were urged not to go to White Rock in case that area is evacuated, as well.

Transportation is available for those who call (505) 661-7433. The Big Rock Santa Claran Event Center was opened as a shelter.

Campgrounds near the fire were evacuated Sunday (June 26).

Las Conchas fire started Sunday afternoon on private land near the Jemez Ranger District in the Santa Fe National Forest, about 3 miles south of Los Alamos. Structures and power lines were threatened, but according to the incident update, “all radioactive material is appropriately accounted for and protected.”

For more information and updates, call (505) 667-6622 or visit www.lanl.gov

Source: Taos News

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Below: Los Alamos, Los Conchas Fire

Below: Jemez Mountains, recently taken

Below: South of Belen, taken Sunday, June 26, 2011

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June 25, 2011

Lines grow around Pacheco Canyon fires, Santa Fe NM. Photos. Wallow Fire AZ update. ^Reply

All, Natural Disasters, News: US • Tags: 2011, AZ, forest fires, June 25, National Forest, Pacheco Canyon fire, photos, Santa Fe NM, Santa Fe ski area, Tesuque Peak, update, Wallow Fire

Sat. June 25, 2011

The forest fires burning above Santa Fe and on the Arizona-New Mexico state line grew slightly Friday as firefighters continued to lengthen their containment lines.

The Pacheco Fire reported a week ago in the Santa Fe National Forest is now estimated at 6,800 acres and 18 percent contained. The fire not two miles north of the Santa Fe ski basin is burning in mixed conifer and ponderosa pine in steep and rugged terrain.

Much of the increase in fire size since Friday is due to a successful overnight burnout operation, a statement released by the Central West Zone Incident Management Team Saturday morning said.

The fire was described as less active on Friday than on Thursday with most of the activity on the north side in the drainage south of Rancho Viejo. Minimal movement was seen on the south side of the fire.

Winds pushed the smoke plume eastward, and the fire continues to threaten the Santa Fe watershed and ski area, the Tesuque Peak communications site and tribal lands of Nambé and Tesuque pueblos. The fire is largely within the Pecos Wilderness.

Large sections of the Santa Fe National Forest are now closed to public access with the imposition of State Three fire restrictions. Open fires and smoking outside buildings and vehicles are banned in the areas that remain open.

Click on image below to enlarge. Clicking again will then scroll through pictures.

Wallow Fire update, AZ

Fire bosses in Arizona say most of the activity on the Wallow Fire Friday was on the south side. There favorable conditions allowed firefighters to begin working on ground lines on the fire perimeter as they try to keep the blaze from crossing the Blue River.

The Wallow Fire, which started May 29, has now grown to near 535,000 acres and ranks as the largest in Arizona history.

Winds on Saturday were forecast to reach 17-20 mph with gusts to 30 mph, enough for torching and short-range spotting on the east side of the fire, segments of which are now in New Mexico.

“These conditions are similar to those that existed when the fire has made large runs,” an update from incident commanders said.

June 8, 2011

Beautiful yet eerie pictures taken of the red sun and smoke-filled skies in Albuquerque NM, from Arizona fires ¹

All, Environmental, Natural Disasters, News: US • Tags: Albuquerque NM, Arizona fires, blanketing, footage, forest fires, Horseshoe Two Fire, images, layer, Miller fire, Murphy fire, orange moon, orange skies, photo, photography, red sun, smoke, unusual coloring in sky, video, Wallow Fire

For several days now, Albuquerque has been blanketed with a thick layer of smoke originating from the massive fires in Arizona. The city has been on health alert, and hospitals have seen a jump in respiratory-related visits. The smell of burning wood is much like the smell of a campfire and has permeated our both sinuses and homes. The ash is leaving a light layer both inside and out. Normally, the visibility is literally as far as ones eyes can see – which is to the horizon depending upon the view. For the past few days, the visibility has dropped to 3 miles and under. The magnificent Sandia Mountains which border the east end of our city, have completely disappeared under the layer of smoke.

Amidst all the health problems arising from the smoke, the light filtering has created some magnificent photo opportunities. Please remember that in all these pictures, there are no clouds in the sky – which is normal for Albuquerque. All that you see is smoke…

The first picture was taken by me from my backyard tonight at approximately 7:15 PM. The sun was not due to set until 8:20. I did not use any filters, no special settings, nor was this touched up in Photoshop. The red coloring is from the smoke layer filtering out certain color wavelengths. Which is also the reason for the various colors in the rest of the images. The video above was also taken at the same time, same place.