The following information has been made available by New Mexico's Fire Information website :
Los Alamos County officials are reporting the fire is now threatening Los Alamos. They are ordering a mandatory evacuation which will begin and proceed in this order:
- Group 1: Western, Quemazon, Ponderosa;
- Group 2: North Community, Barranca Mesa, North Mesa;
- Group 3: East of Diamond and the remainder of the town site.
White Rock is NOT being evacuated at this time. Residents in Los Alamos should NOT go to White Rock to stay in case it is later evacuated.
Residents are urged to prepare now to be ready to go when their Group is called using Reverse 911. The best sources of information about Group releases for the evacuation will continue to be through news outlets. The County is first evacuating those residents who are the closest to the immediate threat of fire. Residents should wait for the automated Reverse 911 phone call. Once called, proceed in an orderly fashion to police control points and follow any additional instructions to safely leave the County. National Guard and State Police will be assisting with the evacuation process.
Residents in Los Alamos in the Downtown, North Community, Quemazon, Eastern, and Western areas use either the Truck Route (East Jemez Rd) or Trinity Drive to NM502. Royal Crest residents would use the Truck Route to SR 4 to NM502. Residents on the mesas (North Mesa, Barranca Mesa) use the graded road in the bottom of Rendija Canyon, the same emergency route used during the Cerro Grande Fire in May 2000. The road has been graded today and the gate through San Ildefonso property to NM 502 is open. Take only your most essential belongings, including medication and pets. Large vehicles such as RVs should not attempt to use the road through Rendija Canyon due to the low water crossings in the road. The road is graded to accommodate passenger cars, trucks or SUVs, not oversized vehicles. Residents in White Rock should use SR 4 to NM 502 to evacuate if that becomes necessary.
The Big Rock Santa Claran Event Center is open as a shelter for those who are voluntarily evacuating with no accommodations. Residents who have friends and family in the area are asked to relocate to stay with them in order to keep shelter space available for those who most need it. The County is coordinating with regional resources to open more shelters. Those without transportation should call 505-661-RIDE (Atomic City Transit, the County's transit system). They will start arranging busses to pick up those who need bus service.
Photo by Los Alamos National Lab via Flickr .
