WILDFIRE WATCH
Martinez says season already active, with 45,008 acres burned
Gov. Susana Martinez held a news conference in Albuquerque’s bosque to urge New Mexicans to prevent wildfires.
Flanked by Smokey Bear, two dozen firefighters and the Rio Grande bosque, Gov. Susana Martinez on Thursday urged New Mexicans to prepare for the already-arrived wildfire season and to help prevent fires.
At a morning news confer- ence at the Rio Grande Nature Center State Park, the governor said this year’s fire season is already proving to be an active one.
“This week alone, firefighters have responded to fires in several counties throughout the state, and they continue to work around the clock to contain them,” Martinez said. “That’s what brings us here today — to mark Wildfire Awareness Week, a time to highlight the dangers of wildfires and our ongoing battle to prevent them.
“This year alone, 45,008 acres have already been burned, and we’ve already seen 132 wildfires — and keep in mind that we’re only three months into the year,” she said, noting that firefighters were battling a blaze near Ruidoso as she spoke.
“Last year we enjoyed plenty of rain and snow. We saw a lot of green, and yet we still experienced hundreds of wildfires across the state,” she said. “This year, the conditions aren’t so friendly.”
State Forester Eddie Tudor read the governor’s proclamation declaring March 22 - April 2 as Wildfire Awareness Week.
Albuquerque Fire Chief David Downey said his firefighters already have fought 13 human-caused fires in the city’s bosque, and reminded residents that preventing fires is far more cost effective than fighting them with hundreds of personnel and millions of dollars in equipment.
“Every fire that we prevent is one less opportunity for a firefighter to get injured,” Downey said.