The Forest Service apologized to local residents Monday for setting off the 1,200-acre Hermits Peak fire with a prescribed burn.
The weather forecast last week indicated the burn was save, but stiff winds pushed the fire into the steep terrain of the Santa Fe National Forest on April 6.
Since then the fire has prompted evacuations, though no loss of structures or injuries have been reported. The fire is burning 12 miles northwest of Las Vegas, near the base of Hermit Peak and extending into the Pecos Wilderness.
“We take full responsibility and with a heavy heart, we are really sorry for what happened,” said Steve Romero, district ranger, Pecos, of the Las Vegas Ranger District.
