New Mexicans display unity and resilience amidst fires
Community groups, state agencies, volunteers all helped
Our hearts break for all those impacted by the fires raging across Northern New Mexico, especially those who have seen their homes and farms turn to ash in the blink of an eye. These are devastating losses, and we know it may take a long time for our communities to fully recover and rebuild from this destruction.
But we have witnessed constant sources of hope shining through all of this darkness and devastation — the unity of our state and the love and generosity from neighbors across our communities.
Facing several simultaneous fires, including the largest one in state history, New Mexicans demonstrated their commitment to one another and rapidly jumped into action. Community groups, state agencies, elected leaders and thousands of volunteers have all banded together to rapidly get resources to those affected by the fires, from delivering on urgent needs, such as assisting with evacuations, establishing shelters and providing meals, to facilitating longterm recovery by providing disaster and unemployment assistance and fighting for greater federal aid.
New Mexicans have stepped up to collect supplies or make donations to the All Together NM Fund, set up by Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham as a one-stop spot to donate to emergency shelters, food and water distribution, and other critical services. Thousands of firefighters — some of whom have lost their own homes or ranches — continue fighting bravely against hostile winds, working together to mitigate the damage to their neighbors.
Hundreds of evacuees came to Taos County to the Agricultural Center and Peñasco School district where they were greeted by dozens of volunteers from Taos County and the Red Cross. The Enchanted Circle Community Organizations Active in Disaster (EC-COAD) and Mercy Chefs have provided hot meals for anyone affected by the fires. Melissa Sandoval, superintendent of Peñasco Independent School District, organized round-the-clock care while finishing up school for hundreds of students.
We are grateful for this incredible outpouring of support, and we ask all New Mexicans to please do your part by continuing to monitor and respect evacuation orders. We must work together to ensure emergency responders can focus where they are needed. If you have livestock, pets or elderly family members that may make it difficult to evacuate, please call (800) 432-2080 for help.
No matter what part of the state you live in, it is also vital that we each do what we can to reduce risks of fire in our own areas to mitigate additional blazes during this period of high risk, which means creating defensible space around our homes and doing whatever we can to prevent a spark outside.
Until the smoke clears, we won’t know the full impact this fire has had on our animals, farms and homes. But together, we’ll dig through the ash, replant our crops and learn valuable lessons to pass on to our children.
As lawmakers, we will be there to make sure the resources to rebuild get where they are needed — both state and federal dollars will be important in the immediate and long-recovery of our region. And when the next generation of New Mexicans asks about the story behind the charred building frames and burn-scarred trees that survived, we’ll tell them how our state came together and ultimately persisted through this disaster.