Chelis Vaca, with the California Conservation Corp, rolls up water hoses Thursday at the fire camp in Peñasco.
A sign thanking firefighters at the Sugar Nymphs Bistro on Thursday.
Chelis Vaca, with the California Conservation Corp, rolls up water hoses Thursday at the fire camp in Peñasco.
A sign thanking firefighters at the Sugar Nymphs Bistro on Thursday.
PEÑASCO — More than 3,000 firefighters from 22 states have made their way to Northern New Mexico, some from as far away as Alaska and all with the same goal: saving lives, private property and forested lands from the Hermits Peak/Calf Canyon Fire.
In long, exhausting shifts of 12 hours or more, they extinguish flames, build containment lines and install structure protection equipment around homes. Then they return to tent camps around the fire’s more than 630-mile perimeter; an army that must be fed and cared for every day in an event that has lasted nearly two months.
Providing them with meals and supplies in these far-flung camps — some in remote wilderness — is a massive undertaking.
The battle of logistics can be seen in the Taos County town of Peñasco, where about 800 firefighters and support crew members are staying in one of the several camps where firefighters are located.
Facilities unit leader Darby Starr said firefighters have everything they need to live in the backcountry. The U.S. Forest Service works with contractors to bring in portable toilets, hand-washing stations and portable showers. It also hires caterers to provide firefighters with three meals a day.
“We have realized over time how important it is for people to get a shower and stay clean,” Starr said. “This is this is probably one of their favorite things when they come into camp, between this and the caterer, because this is how they kind of can refresh themselves.”
Still, it’s not a stay at a four-star hotel.
Starr said he tries to use local restaurants and other businesses to feed the crew during smaller operations but knows they usually are not equipped for the large orders required for the numbers of men and women battling the Hermits Peak/Calf Canyon Fire.
But if a firefighting army relies on its stomach, a lot of stomachs rely on people like Jesus Soto and Luke Vasquez. They are among the workers who team with caterers to pass out meals to firefighters. They sleep in tents with the crew and travel alongside them as they move from fire to fire across the country.
“You see the mountains, explore the world; it’s a good opportunity,” Vasquez said.
Before leaving camp for the day, firefighters receive a hot breakfast and bagged lunch containing sandwiches, canned tuna, granola bars and other snacks to get them through the shift. When they return to camp, they receive another hot meal.
Starr said some firefighters staying in smaller, remote camps take MREs — lightweight, packaged military-style meals ready to eat.
Officials are sensitive to any hint firefighters aren’t being well-fed or cared for, even addressing rumors to that effect during a livestream briefing usually devoted to the details of battling the fire.
“All of their needs are being met,” said Celeste Prescott, a spokeswoman for Southwest Incident Management Team 1, which ended its deployment Sunday. “We ask that all donations go to the local evacuation shelters or your local volunteer fire departments. They are always in need.”
At the Peñasco camp, crew members slept in tents scattered throughout a middle school athletic field. It is the essence of roughing it: Since the camp opened, temperatures have ranged from the mid-30s at night to the low-80s during the day.
But even with the rough conditions, Starr said most crew members are happy to get the chance to camp out in nature. Firefighters and support crew members understand what they are getting into, he said, and the rugged living is part of the appeal. They are prepared to face a wide range of weather conditions, from extreme heat to sub-zero temperatures.
Many firefighters bring their own tents and sleeping bags, but the camp has plenty of extras in the supply area just in case, he added.
The camp’s supply station has anything a firefighter may need, from a pen to a fire hose.
Every day, crew members clean and roll up miles of fire hose in preparation for taking it out to the lines.
“People ask me why do I do this,” Starr said, “and I tell them I get to see some of the most beautiful places in this country.”
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