West side of wildfire in Pecos Wilderness stubborn; free water tests in Mora
Jun. 2—Fire officials said the Hermits Peak/Calf Canyon Fire has slowed to a crawl, but crews face a long, difficult battle in tougher terrain on the west side of the blaze.
The fire was at 315,830 acres Wednesday, with 54 percent containment.
The west side of the fire in the Pecos Wilderness remains the most stubborn, officials said. It continues to burn in parts of Bear Canyon and has the potential to progress through the 2002 Trampas Fire scar east of Cowles and Geronimo.
"It just continues to keep moving," said San Miguel County Sheriff Chris Lopez, who added areas farther south, including Cow Creek, El Macho and Dalton Canyon could see mandatory evacuation orders downgraded in the near future.
Though the area around the fire is expected to see improved chances for thunderstorms for the next three days, officials have long warned that kind of weather pattern brings challenges as well as relief: Lightning strikes can start new fires, and heavy rains create flooding dangers on denuded, fire-scarred hillsides and valleys.
Meanwhile, agencies will offer free domestic well water testing Saturday in Mora for residents affected by the fire.
The free testing will be available from 8:30 a.m. to noon at the Mora County Complex at 1 Courthouse Drive.
The state Environment Department and Department of Health are hosting the event, which will give free water testing that normally costs $150 to the first 100 participants, or while supplies last.
Test results will be mailed to households.
After a wildfire, private wells can be contaminated and unsafe to use for drinking and other purposes.
To have water tested, residents need to bring a sample of their water to the event. Use these guidelines to collect a sample:
* Let the water run for two to three minutes.
* Fill a clean glass or plastic container with at least a quart or liter of your well water.
* If the home has a filtration system, collect the water at the well head before it goes through the system.
* Fill the container with water as close to the time of testing as possible.
* Bring basic information about the well, such as its total depth, the depth to water, the casing material and distance to the nearest septic tank or leach field.
For more information about this water fair, contact the Environment Department at 505-827-2900 or visit the agency's calendar page at env.nm.gov/events-calendar.
