Ongoing fire restrictions, and two house fires
“We had a little moisture over the weekend which helped with some of the immediate concerns, and possibly more moisture this week. That being said, though, the fire danger is Very High and is trending towards Extreme,” said Mountainair District Ranger Ernest Taylor.
The Mountainair Ranger District remains in Stage 2 Fire Restrictions, which means no fires of any kind, no smoking except in buildings and vehicles and areas with no vegetation, and there are industrial precautions in place restricting operations to the early morning and evening hours. Operators are also required to post fire watches after stopping operations.
There was one campfire that was left unattended over the weekend, he said. In addition, Taylor said, “We sent an engine to assist with the fire in Bosque on Friday. Our two engines [in the Mountainair Ranger District] have been joined by another engine from the Black Kettle National Grassland, and we have two Forest Protection Officers from the Pacific Northwest helping us with forest patrols.”
The Sandia Ranger District also remains in Stage 2 and did not report any new fire activity over the last week.
“Torrance County remains in 'high' fire danger status due to lack of moisture, low humidity and the wind over the last week,” said Torrance County Fire Marshal Lester Gary. As of May 28, Torrance County has declared a “Fire Danger Emergency,” and is prohibiting all open fires. “All open fires will be prohibited for the duration of the COVID-19 emergency,” according to the resolution order. The resolution excludes ceremonial fires, barbecues, warming at construction sites and heating and warming inside a home.
There were no wildland fires or open fires reported this week, Gary said.
There was on structure fire near Lexco and Cedar Hills roads in Moriarty on May 26. Five adults were living in the house, which was a total loss.
There were no injuries for anyone involved including rescue personnel, Gary said. There was a newborn, but the baby did not live in the residence and was not injured. Red Cross was notified and a gofundme page was set up to help the family. Torrance County Districts 2, 3 and 5, the Moriarty Fire Department and the Torrance County Fire Administration all responded. District 2, with engine 22 was first to arrive on scene in less than ten minutes.
Bernalillo County's current Fire Level Danger Status is at “High.”
On May 26 the Bernalillo County Fire Department was dispatched to a structure fire off Frost Road. Crews arrived on the scene and found a working fire on a detached garage/shop.
The incident was declared a Wildland Urban Interface operation, as the fire started to threaten the forest area around it.
Crews were able to transition from structural firefighting tactics to wildland tactics quickly because of the resources that were available. A dozen unites from Bernalillo and and Santa Fe counties responded and the fire was extinguished.
As of the time it went to press, The Independent had not learned any details about any occupants of the house.