Serving the High Plains
Serving the High Plains
Area still below average in rainfall for this time.
Recent rainfall across the county brought temperatures down and provided a short relief but the danger of wildfires is still very high, said Donald Adams, Quay County Fire Marshall.
“The moisture in the ground is going to dry up quickly as the temperatures rise,” Adams said. “The dry conditions along with the abundant fuel source creates a high danger for wildfires.”
On Friday, a storm system moved into the region as a high pressure system shifted to the east, said David Craft of the National Weather Service in Albuquerque.
Craft said sub tropical moisture moved in from the Pacific Ocean across the south west carrying with it the remnants of Hurricane Bud. He said the heaviest rainfall recorded on Saturday, 1 and a half to 2 inches, fell in Quay County near San Jon.
“With Saturday’s rainfall, the area has received 3.33 inches, but is still below the normal 5.99 inches for this time of year,” Craft said.
Adams said there is currently no fire ban in Quay County, but residents are urged to use extreme caution when working outdoors or conducting controlled burns.
“Just because there is not a fire ban in place does not mean we are out of danger,” Adams said.
Adams said residents need to be mindful of the weather conditions (wind) if they are going to conduct a controlled burn. He said the burn should be monitored at all times.
“It takes just one strong gust and a diverted attention for a fire to get out of hand,” Adams said.
Adams said people need to pay special attention when working outdoors with equipment that produces sparks including welders or grinders.
“These hazards are particularly dangerous in the rural regions of the county,” Adam ssaid. “Rural fire departments have the added issue of having to haul water to a remote area. We have great interagency assistant throughout the county, but there is always a danger of a fire getting out of control.”
One issue with rural fires is the response time needed for departments to get to the scene,” said Rex Stall, Logan Fire Chief.
Stall said residents should use extreme caution with any type of spark or heat generation from equipment in these dry conditions. He said the hot exhaust pipe of a vehicle could also be dangerous in high grass areas.
“We’ve been very fortunate this year when it comes to wildfires,” Stall said.
One recent wildfire that got our of control began on May 31, near Ute Park between Eagle Nest Lake and Cimarron. The blaze took multiple fire agencies more than two weeks to get 97 percent contained. According to the New Mexico State Forestry, as of Sunday, more than 36,740 acres have burned in the fire.
Stall was one of four regional EMTs that traveled to Cimarron to assist with EMS, ambulance calls during the Ute Park fire.
“It was devastating to see one of my favorite places in the whole state burning like that,” Stall said. “The terrain of that region added another obstacle in combating the fire. While we don’t have the hills (or) trees like they do, it’s a grim reminder of what could come from an isolated, rural wildfire.”