Los Alamos County Manager Steven Lynne announced that Acting Council Chair Denise Derkacs has declared a fire danger emergency in the County of Los Alamos due to the Cerro Pelado fire that has burned just outside the community for 21 days, has grown to 45,394 acres and is 19 percent contained. He emphasized that the county and the Los Alamos National Laboratory remain in the ‘set’ phase of ‘ready, set, go,’ and no evacuation orders have been issued.
According to Lynne the County has already dedicated numerous resources and is expending significant funds to assist with the Cerro Pelado fire event. Considering that the National Weather Service has forecasted prolonged dry weather and additional fire dangers, an emergency declaration allows the County to exercise necessary emergency powers and expenditure of available resources to battle the fire and protect the community.
Further, he added that the declaration is a prerequisite to be considered for potential state and federal disaster-relief assistance associated with emergency protective measures. Should county resources exceed certain thresholds, Governor Lujan-Grisham can request that Los Alamos be added to the disaster declaration signed on May 4 by President Biden in response to destructive New Mexico wildfires. Counties that are already included in the Presidential disaster declaration include Colfax, Lincoln, Mora, San Miguel and Valencia counties.
For more information about the Cerro Pelado Fire, visit the County’s website here: www.lacnm.com/cerropelado
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