Contact your local fire department or government agency for the latest fire restriction information. The Nogal Canyon Fire started Tuesday in the area of the Lincoln National Forest and spread to 20 acres with no containment, state fire officials said in an afternoon statement. Originally, about 50 plaintiffs were party to the suit, but hundreds more later joined. A big focus is repairing fire-damaged lands. 23, 2023 The pop-up box will show the restriction stage or ban, any local information, and will have a link to the actual fire restrictions order, the news release, or agency fire restriction information page if available. Springtime temperatures were above average, too. LAS CRUCES, N.M.(KRQE) The government and several New Mexico universities are gearing up to replant fire-ravaged land around the state. These were generational lands. "I want to thank the Governor and my colleagues in the Senate and House who heard the cries of communities that have been devastated by out-of-control prescribed burns, Griggs said upon the bill signing. A lawsuit seeking unspecified damages was filed in June against the U.S. Forest Service in U.S. District Court in Albuquerque. Please take every precaution just one spark can start a wildfire! she said in a tweet. Conduct fire safety training for new employees and refresher training for all employees to review location of fire exits and the location and proper use of fire extinguishers. New Mexico State University - Fire Department . In northern New Mexico, the Hermit's Peak Fire has consumed for 65,000 acres, while the Cook' Peak Fire has reached nearly 56,000 acres. CNN Sans & 2016 Cable News Network. The air quality in Las Vegas, N.M., was expected to be unhealthy and potentially hazardous on Monday, officials said at a briefing on Sunday. Both blazes were caused by prescribed burns. New Mexico's Big Hole Fire threatens hundreds of homes. Debris should be kept at least 50 feet from a home, EMNRD reported, and all trees and shrubs should be removed within 30 feet. Lawmakers also passed legislation to provide $100 million in state loans to communities affected by the blaze, to be reimbursed when federal relief dollars are received. The massive wildfire all but extinguished a way of life rich in traditions that had been passed down for generations in the remote Sangre de Cristo Mountains, 2,000 square miles of forestland spread across northern New Mexico. The collaborative New Mexico Reforestation Center has received funding from lawmakers and is hoping to get up and running relatively soon. On Wednesday, with thunderstorms forecast for parts of northern New Mexico, the National Weather Service in Albuquerque issued a flood alert with an interesting warning. Fire ecologists and other experts supported the safety review but stressed that prescribed burns remain crucial tools for forest management and usually help reduce the risk of major wildfires. State and federal officials initially said Tuesday the wildfire had consumed 15,000 acres, but by evening that figure was re-evaluated to 3,000. Mexico immigration agency head to stand trial in deadly fire Extreme to exceptional drought conditions from the southern Plains into the Southwest also add to the fire weather potential. The Calf Canyon Hermits Peak Fire, stoked after a prescribed burn by U.S. Forest Service got out of control in April 2022, burned a total of 341,735 acres in northern New Mexico by the time it was contained, displacing residents and devastating infrastructure. After a wildfire impacts an area, the soil becomes water-repellent, and any rainfall can quickly turn to runoff, along with debris flows of soot, ash and timber, the National Weather Service in Albuquerque said in its forecast discussion. With June and July typically being two of the most active months for wildfires in the state, this total is expected to grow. It ranks fourth in the most acres burned to date. See current wildfires and wildfire perimeters in New Mexico using the Fire, Weather & Avalanche Center Wildfire Map. New Mexico Wildfire Dashboard - Fire, Weather & Avalanche Center The wildfires the Hermits Peak/Calf Canyon Fire just northeast of Santa Fe and the Black Fire in the Gila National Forest continue to burn at a historic pace. The blaze, burning east of Santa Fe, is 27% . , Photos: Sky News 13 flies over Good Friday pilgrimages, PHOTOS: Storm moves through New Mexico leaving snow, Snow causes difficult driving conditions across NM, Map: New Mexico Veterans Monuments and Memorials, BestReviews.com - Top gifts to make everyone happy this spring, Surprise your mom with one of these Mothers Day, Mothers Day inspo: This foot massager has 20,000, Drew Barrymores Walmart collection is perfect for, Best Mothers Day gifts for the budding plant mom, Best Mothers Day Gifts for moms obsessed with books, 13 Broadcast Pl SW, Albuquerque, NM, 87104, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. Your effort and contribution in providing this feedback is much The U.S.D.A. Fires hit Southwest, New Mexico's season 'dangerously early' The megafire fed off New Mexicos dry, overgrown forests. More: A look at what bills impacting Carlsbad passed and died in 2023 legislative session. With nearly 3,000 personnel tasked to battle the flames, the containment has slowly climbed to 65% as of Thursday afternoon. As wildfire season started again this spring, New Mexicos Energy, Minerals and Natural Resources Department urged residents to limit flammable debris like pine needs and other vegetation that can collect in gutters and around properties. Displaced Mora County resident Kathryn Uehlein has been living out of a donated RV for the past year after her home burned in the wildfire. The previous largest fire in New Mexico was the Whitewater-Baldy Fire in 2012 that burned 297,845 acres, the Geographic Area Coordination Centers report. Those conditions, typical for the Southwest during a La Nia climate pattern, added to longer-term risks: forests left overcrowded and unhealthy by decades of aggressive fire suppression; a mega-drought that created a tinder-dry landscape; and the background warming caused by the burning of fossil fuels and other human activity. Currently, there are 3,820 homes under mandatory evacuation orders in the San Miguel, Mora, Taos and Colfax counties, New Mexico Emergency Operation Center spokesman Travis Martinez told CNN. There are currently 16 large fires burning across four states, including Arizona, Colorado and Alaska. The most recent US drought Monitor report Thursday morning showed an increase in exceptional drought, the highest level, which now covers nearly 50% of New Mexico. Gov. The bill was amended in a rare bipartisan move. in size with a population of 2,158,077. Source: National Interagency Fire Center | Note: Data is through May 30. CNN Sans & 2016 Cable News Network. 2023 Cable News Network. New Mexico State Fire Fighters Association - Nmsffa For municipal fire restrictions, please go to the specific city, town, or village website for more information. National Interagency Fire Center meteorologist Jim Wallmann told CNNs Ella Nilsen fire conditions have been worsened by the combination of an abnormally dry and windy spring in New Mexico. On Friday, investigators announced that the Calf Canyon fire was also caused by a planned burn conducted earlier this year. in size with a population of 2,158,077. On the gustiest days, which saw winds reach up to 80 miles per hour, firefighting planes and helicopters had to be grounded and crews were prevented from reaching the front lines. More than a thousand firefighters are battling the Calf Canyon-Hermits Peak fire, two fires that merged on April 22-23 to form one of the largest wildfires in state history. Prescribed burns are intentionally set by experts to clear out overcrowded forests, improving their health and removing excess fuels that could feed a larger wildfire. 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The camp is home to about 2,000 people who hope to reach the United States. The Hermits Peak/Calf Canyon Fire is the largest fire in New Mexico history, with over 318,000 acres burned, according to the National Wildfire Coordinating Group Thursday morning. This was a real catastrophic loss in an area thats really difficult to rebuild in, said Antonia Roybal-Mack, an attorney for the families. appreciated. Large fires are raging in New Mexico, and the worst may be coming The blaze was threatening enough that La Merced Elementary School in Rio Communities was closed Tuesday, and residents of the area were told to prepare for possible evacuation orders. Since the fire began, about 26,000 people have been forced to evacuate, with more expected to face evacuations later this week, according to the Fire South Zone Incident Management Team. New Mexico Wildfires: Mapping an Early, Record-Breaking Season - The Provide two exits for all sleeping areas. There are 0 wildfires burning 0 acres in New Mexico right now. MORA COUNTY, N.M. Benito Sanchez has been living in an Albuquerque hotel room with his ailing, 100-year-old grandmother for the past year after the state's largest wildfire burned their modular home to the ground. To submit a letter to the editor for publication, write to, A Perfect Recipe for Extreme Wildfire: New Mexicos Record-Breaking, Early Fire Season, Source: NASA/Fire Information for Resource Management System. Welcome to the Online New Mexico Fire Protection Grant Application. What you need to know about wildfire season in New Mexico Box 2711Santa Fe, NM 87502, Powered by Real Time Solutions - Website Design & Document Management, NM State FIre Marshal now a part of DHSEM. According to the National Interagency Fire Center, the cost to battle the fire since its inception (suppression only), this would place it among the costliest in US history, though the number does not include structures or insured losses which otherwise can create billion-dollar disasters in more populated areas of California. The. A mix of the historic drought and 2% relative humidity have made the ground extremely dry. IE 11 is not supported. Check fire extinguishers monthly and have serviced annually. The extreme heat makes it more difficult on the firefighters trying to battle the fires and increase the containment numbers. Online Fire protection grant application ( OFPGA ) - New Mexico He estimates his company, Griego Logging LLC, will lose up to $700,000 every year he remains in business because even if he replants, the trees will not grow large enough to harvest in his lifetime.