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Thursday, April 3, 2008

Conditions May Lead to Forest Restrictions

By Lee Ross
Mountain View Telegraph
    Dry conditions in the Mountainair Ranger District may soon lead to restrictions, said Arlene Perea, the district's fire information officer.
    "Fire danger is up," Perea said. "With no moisture in the next few weeks ... we're looking at restrictions."
    Perea said people may not realize there is a high fire danger in the Mountainair area.
    "The snow line just sort of ends somewhere between here and Sandia (Ranger District)," she said.
    In spite of reports of heavy moisture and snowfall in northern New Mexico, even down to the Sandia Ranger District, the Mountainair Ranger District is unseasonably dry, Perea said. She said even the Gila National Forest to the southwest has gotten some recent moisture.
    "It's just kind of deceiving, what (people) are hearing in the news," she said.
    The rangers have already responded to fire rings that were not completely extinguished, a dangerous situation should the wind carry sparks into the brush, Perea said.
    Unfortunately, the careless behavior persists in spite of the recent Ojo Peak Fire.
    Officials still believe the blaze, which burned nearly 7,000 acres in the Manzano Mountains and a total of seven structures, was caused by people. When asked about the ongoing investigation, Christine Baron, a law enforcement officer for the U.S. Forest Service, had no new details.
    Perea said despite dry conditions, campfires were still permitted in the Mountainair Ranger District as of Monday.
    To be safe, it is a good idea to plan ahead and bring extra water and a shovel when camping, Perea said, and put a fire out completely by mixing water and dirt into the ashes.
    The same is true with cigarettes. Perea said butts should be fully extinguished in ashtrays. She also cautioned against parking vehicles in tall grass, as a hot catalytic converter can also cause a fire.
    Another precaution Perea suggested was clearing out brush and flammable material from around the home and removing it from gutters. She added that woodpiles should be kept well away from the home.
    Karen Takai, the Sandia Ranger District's fire information officer, said her district has its own concerns.
    Even though Takai's district's fire danger is listed as moderate, she said she is looking at heavy grasses, which have grown from recent moisture and are dried out by the wind.
    "It is drying out, and we are going into fire season," Takai said. "Watch those barbecues, and make sure hoses are out there."
    The Sandia and Manzano ranger districts are gearing up their volunteer staff and preparing firefighting equipment for the coming fire season, Takai and Perea said.