2013 EXTREME Fire Danger Note to Public 6.6.2013
by Arlene Perea and Karen Takai, Fire Information Officers, Mountainair and Sandia Ranger Districts
Attention Fire Information List,
As most of you know by now, the Mountainair and Sandia Ranger Districts are going into closures this Monday, June 10, 2013. As we ratchet up safety issues please be extra cautious with prevention around your home. Have a plan and be ready to go at a moment’s notice.
This is a different climate we are in now. We know the Sandia area has never seen catastrophic fires in the last 100 years but the landscape has changed and we need to change with it. The Manzano and Gallinas Mountains have seen their fair share of catastrophic fire in the last 10 years. Even our firefighters over the last 10 years have had to adjust how they fight fire. It’s a different world. Be Ready and Have a plan!
FYI – The Mountainair and Sandia Ranger Districts currently have additional resources being staged on the districts to assist with prevention and fire suppression. Current resources based upon Wednesdays schedule includes 9 engines, 1 hotshot crew, 3 lookouts in the lookout towers, 2 Fire Information Officers and 1 Prevention Officer. We are staffed early and late hours, 7 days a week until we are out of the extreme fire danger. Our interagency partners City of Albuquerque, NM State, Bernalillo, Sandoval, Santa Fe, Valencia and Torrance County Fire could also assist and support our fire season as we do for them.
The system in place is quite interesting as to how we staff fire season across the nation. We are able to order extra supporting resources during our high/extreme fire season. The crews come from all over the nation dependent on their fire danger at the time. We in turn will go to their states during their fire season and support. The process allows us to have needed crews in the states most of the time. The issue that comes into play is when everyone is under the same high to extreme fire danger. There have been times when there is a competition for air tankers and then decisions get prioritized at a regional or national level as to who will get the resource first. Normally the situation is handled fairly and efficiently. If our national resources start to get depleted, we have the option to call on Canada and Australia for additional resources and there have been times when our fire personnel have traveled to these countries as well.
The availability of resources is constantly subject to change as fire situations throughout the region and nation change. All resources are national resources so they could be relocated at any time.
We have put this short note together with the hope that it has lessened some of the stress knowing that we are here and ready. Please help our fighters. Have a Plan and be ready at all times. Call us with any questions. Be Fire Safe!