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Wildfire Wednesdays #138: Supporting Communities Affected by New Mexico Wildfires

Hello Fireshed community,

The South Fork and Salt fires, which ignited on June 17, have burned through thousands of acres and hundreds of homes on Mescalero Apache land and in the area of Ruidoso, NM, driven by high winds, hot temperatures, and low humidity. The burn area also continues to be hit by severe storms and flash flooding, together leaving many New Mexicans displaced. To help with recovery efforts, this Wildfire Wednesday focuses on resources to help those affected by the fires, including a gofundme page hosted by the Forest Stewards Guild. The path to recovery for any major disaster, especially wildfire, is long, and there is often a lack of resources in the early stages. Please help by circulating this post to your networks to support the recovery process or by donating time and resources, if you are able.

This Wildfire Wednesday features resources to assist those impacted by the recent fires:

-Rachel

Donation Options

Go Fund Me: Donations to this fund, hosted by The Forest Stewards Guild, will be passed through to a reputable local entity to support evacuation centers and other costs associated with the early recovery effort. Typical expenses include: gas cards, clothing, toiletries, medications, etc.

Greatest Needs Impact Fund: Hosted by the Community Foundation of Southern New Mexico, this Fund is currently directing efforts to Lincoln and Otero Counties. It will provide financial resources to support the immediate and long-term recovery needs for the people, animals, and places effected by the South Fork and Salt fires. This fund is in partnership with the Community Foundation of Lincoln County and their ongoing Shelter Fund, New Mexico Wildfire Relief Fund, and Emergency Action Fund held within the Albuquerque Community Foundation.

Other reputable funds:
The Community Foundation of Lincoln County is taking donations to help the Village of Ruidoso, Ruidoso Downs, and Lincoln County (details here). Donations, such as food and water, can go to the evacuation center at the Inn of the Mountain Gods.
PNM is directing people to donate to the Mescalero Apache Tribe’s Fire Relief fund (details) and the Emergency Action Fund for New Mexico Fire Relief (details).

Supply donations:

The Rio Rancho Regional Chamber of Commerce is partnering with Edit House Productions to collect essential items. Supplies can be dropped off at either the Chamber of Commerce or Edit House Productions on weekdays from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. The Chamber is also open Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
New Mexico United is hosting a supply drive for Ruidoso Fire Relief. They’re collecting items at The Team Shop daily from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
These items are urgently needed: Blankets, pillows, towels, toiletries and hygiene items, nonperishable food items, bottled water, clothing, new socks/underwear, diapers/formula, feminine hygiene products, first aid, pet supplies and food, sleeping bags, bandanas and work gloves and flashlights and batteries.

Emergency Information

Emergency response:
A temporary phone number on the First Responders Network is in place to circumvent the failed cell phone system in the area. Call (202) 794-5044 to check on friends, family, or the status of your home. Call the Public Information Line for general information: 575-323-8258.
If you are having difficulty locating a missing loved one due to a disaster event, call 1-800-Red Cross (1-800-733-2767) for reunification support.

Unemployment Assistance

Unemployment assistance from the state is now set up for people losing wages from their displacement due to the South Fork and Salt fires. This assistance is available to people living in Lincoln and Otero counties or on Mescalero Apache land that are workers or business-owners. The assistance is available from June 23, 2024 until December 21, 2024, as long as unemployment is related to the fire and flood disasters. To receive benefits, applications must show how their ability to work was impacted by the fire.

It’s a two-step process to qualify for Disaster Unemployment Financial Assistance.
First: qualifying individuals must apply for Standard Unemployment Insurance online at https://www.jobs.state.nm.us, in-person at a New Mexico Department of Workforce Solutions office, or by calling the Unemployment Insurance Operations number at 1-877-664-6984.
To qualify for the disaster benefits, the state agency will first reject the application for the Standard Unemployment Insurance. Only then can people apply for Disaster Unemployment Assistance. Keep the rejection letter for the second step.
Second: after the application for standard unemployment insurance has been rejected, individuals must call or visit the New Mexico Department of Workforce Solutions (1-877-664-6984, open M-F 8:00-4:30) to submit a disaster benefit application. Proof of employment documents must be submitted to the New Mexico Department of Workforce Solutions within three weeks after filing for disaster unemployment benefits.

The New Mexico Department of Workforce Solutions has set up an office in the Roswell Convention center and deployed a van with computers onboard to assist with applications. Individuals may also visit any Workforce Connection Centers. Local offices are open weekdays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

People are urged to file as soon as possible to meet an Aug. 19 deadline. Any applications filed after Aug. 19, 2024 may be considered “untimely,” and may be denied, according to a press release from the Department of Workforce Solutions.

Fire Updates

Evacuation orders lifted
Parts of the Village of Ruidoso reopened to full-time residents on Monday (6/24) morning at 8 a.m. By Tuesday afternoon, about half of the 8,000 village residents who were evacuated from the South Fork and Salt fires had returned.

The Village of Ruidoso published an updated map showing parts of the village that were still closed off, called “exclusion zones,” or burned areas with many different crews working in them. In these areas, there was massive fire-caused damage and burned houses. Authorities have cordoned off these places and are treating them as crime scenes until any evidence can be collected.

Federal Disaster Declaration
Otero County was added to the federal disaster declaration in the wake of the South Fork and Salt fires, according to an amendment filed Monday. This means that spending by Lincoln and Otero counties, along with the Mescalero Apache Tribe, to address the fires and floods from last week will be eligible for assistance from the U.S. government. People living in those areas will also be able to seek direct aid, such as unemployment payments (see section above).

Extreme Weather Awareness

Heat: In addition to fueling wildfires and flooding, extreme weather itself can be a threat to life and property. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has released the HeatRisk Tracker which allows users to view heat risk, especially to those who are pregnant, a child or teen with asthma, or have a heart condition or other chronic health conditions, across the country. While hot days can affect anyone, those with the above conditions can be more susceptible to heat.

Floods: Unexpected floods occur naturally and can happen almost anywhere. Although river and coastal flooding are two of the most common types, fire scars and other areas with drought-ridden or hydophobic soils are often affected, especially when impacted by heavy rains. Flood maps, which show how likely it is for an area to flood, are one tool that communities can use to know which areas have the highest risk. Any place with a 1% chance or higher chance of experiencing a flood each year is considered to have a high risk. Use the FEMA Flood Map Service Center (MSC) to find your official flood map, access a range of other flood hazard products, and take advantage of tools for better understanding flood risk.

Wildfire Wednesdays #137: The FAC Framework

Hi Fireshed Community,

Much of the work that we do towards community wildfire adaptation in the Greater Santa Fe Fireshed involves working together across boundaries and across disciplines. The Fire Adapted Communities framework may be helpful in guiding some of our work in Santa Fe. Fire Adapted Communities include community leaders, fire departments, local businesses, local governments, and land management agency representatives. It involves many people working in different roles, towards the common goal of making our communities better adapted to the reality of wildfire. The Fire Adapted Communities graphic and facilitator’s guide are helpful tools to support our work within and across these different roles. With that in mind, today’s Wildfire Wednesdays revisits the FAC graphic and facilitator’s guide as a framework for our development of Fire Adapted Communities.

This week’s Wildfire Wednesdays includes:

  • Fire Adapted Communities Graphic and Facilitator’s Guide

  • An Index of Funding Opportunities developed by Coalitions and Collaboratives and the Watershed Research and Training Center

Best,
Gabe

Fire Adapted Communities Graphic and Facilitator’s Guide

This graphic and facilitator’s guide were designed to help explain the fire adapted communities (FAC) framework. It describes a set of components that make up community wildfire adaptation, and gives examples of specific programs and activities that communities can undertake to reduce their wildfire risk and increase their resilience. Remember, FAC is not a one-size-fits-all approach; every community’s journey to living better with fire is unique. This graphic was created by the FAC Learning Network with input from community-based practitioners from across the United States.


Important Notes

  • This graphic is NOT comprehensive. It does not include all of the potential actions or programs a community could undertake to advance fire adaptation. The graphic includes examples of some of the most common actions and programs. When talking about FAC, you should include examples that are relevant to efforts in your community.

  • This graphic is not a checklist. Community-based leaders are best positioned to change a community's relationship with fire. Every community has different assets and challenges, and contexts that are always changing. Do not instruct people to use this graphic as a checklist. It is intended to inspire people to consider a range of issues and actions, not prescribe strategies for communities.

  • The content in this graphic was contributed by fire resilience practitioners working across the United States. Not all of the programs or actions will be priorities for your community.

What does this graphic explain?

The graphic is designed to communicate the fire adapted communities (FAC) framework. It depicts a set of components that make up community wildfire adaptation, and gives examples of specific programs and actions that a community could undertake to advance their work. FAC is not a one-size-fits-all approach. Community context matters and it is dynamic.

When should you use this graphic?

The FAC graphic can be used in presentations, or workshops where a facilitator walks participants through the graphic. The standalone graphic can also be used on websites or in printed materials. However, in these applications we encourage users to include a written description to explain that the graphic is not prescriptive or comprehensive of all valid FAC approaches.

Who is the graphic for?

The graphic can be used with community partners, FAC practitioners, the media, and agency partners. When talking with different audiences, remember to use language that will resonate with them. This graphic was designed with community wildfire resilience practitioners as the primary audience, so some language may be need to be adjusted for use with community members or others. Adapt the examples and language in this guide as needed to best reach your intended audience.

Grants and Funding Opportunities

Finding and managing funding for climate mitigation and forest resilience may appear challenging, but fear not. There exists a multitude of financial resources dedicated to support creating sustainable and fire-adapted communities, creating healthy and resilient landscapes, and safe and effective wildfire response. 

To support your development goals, the Watershed Research and Training Center and Coalitions and Collaboratives have created a Grants and Funding Opportunities page.

BIL/IRA funding opportunities

The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and Inflation Reduction Act provisions and funding broadly support these efforts through grants and agreements. The four main grant categories are listed below.

  • Community Wildfire Defense Grants

  • IRA Forest Landowner Support

  • Wood Innovations Program Grants

  • Urban and Community Forestry

Other funding opportunities

Combining grants from various sources broadens the pool of funding, lessening reliance on any single source and bolstering financial stability and resilience. Below are potential funding avenues to fortify your community’s capacity for climate resilience.

This effort is supported through the Community Navigator Program of the USDA Forest Service.

CLICK HERE FOR GRANT AND FUNDING INFORMATION

Wildfire Wednesdays #136: Talking to Young People About Natural and Community Disasters

Today’s Wildfire Wednesday comes to us from contributing guest Cora Stewart, Field Coordinator for the Forest Stewards Guild. Cora manages the Forest Stewards Youth Corps and Mentorship programs where she regularly mentors - and learns from - young people across the state. Learn more about Cora and her work.

Happy Wednesday, Fireshed Community!

Whether you're 18 or 80, you can probably close your eyes and vividly remember what it is like to be a teenager. It's a potent part of life - the unlimited energy, bottomless metabolism, fearlessness of pain, but also the big feelings that NOBODY understands. It is, without a doubt, a very impactful time for many people, and personal experiences during these years can change the way a person sees the world and themselves. That is especially true of collective hardships that destabilize your daily reality. This week's Wildfire Wednesday discusses how to be there for a young person who is going through, or has gone through, loss due to a natural disaster. Before jumping in, please be aware that this post details experiences of evacuation and losing cherished community and living spaces; this may evoke some uncomfortable feelings or experiences of your own.

This Wildfire Wednesday features:

- Cora

 

A Personal Story: Monsoonal Floods

When I was 16 years old, I lived and went to school by a river in a country called Niger. Most of the students lived on campus, away from their families. The grounds were beautiful, with mango trees, tortoises, and even some adorable hedgehogs. To me, it was home. There was no greater peace than sitting under those trees and feeling the warm breeze on my face.

Like New Mexico, Niger is very dry but has a monsoon season. This particular year, we had a heavy monsoon season, with much more rain than usual, and at first, it was a good thing. As it kept raining, the river got higher and higher, and eventually a dam upstream broke. As a result, 27 people died and the campus that I loved so much was at risk of flooding. The small community I lived with immediately huddled and started to work. We stayed up for the next three days, building sandbag walls and hoping it would prevent the water from reaching us. We gathered our belongings, prepared evacuation bags, and assisted the school with packing as many valuables away as we could in that short period of time.

On the third day, it became apparent that our efforts would not work and the school wall broke, causing the entire area to flood. We spent the next couple of weeks with no stable place to live, moving from family to family, while the school administration figured out next steps. A month after the flooding, the school was able to temporarily relocate, and life resumed as “normal.”

I share this story with you because, although it was an incredibly challenging time, many people in my life were able to help me through the emotional distress. This experience and their actions impacted how I handle challenges today. I hope that in sharing my experience, alongside some other resources, you are able to help young people going through something similar.

How to Show Up for the Young People in Your Life

 

Remain calm

Young people are always watching how their role models handle situations. I was lucky to have several adults in my life who handled the flood calmly and with grace. They honestly and genuinely assured us that even if things didn’t go how we wanted or expected, that we were going to be okay, taking the time to find small joys each day. This sense of hope and constant assurance helped me move forward into a new normal and accept changes as they came. If you are a parent or a role model to a young person, check out this article with more tips on how to help your child through a natural disaster: How to Talk to Children about War.

 

Find the controllable

Regardless of age, if you go through a natural disaster, you will experience a loss of control. This can be world-shattering for many and can result in distress and anger. This was certainly true for me - surrounding the flood, I felt angry and had lost a sense of meaning. However, I had people in my life who encouraged me to take back ownership. One of my mentors exercised with me to help me continue my routine and remind me how much I loved running. Another mentor was consistent about assigning tasks such as cooking to me and other students to help us channel some of our energy into something good. Although it may feel small, taking the time to encourage the young people in your life, to ensure a routine is maintained, and to provide small tasks they can accomplish can make all the difference in how they perceive themselves and help them to regain a sense of control during a challenging time.

 

Make space for Conversation

While displaced by the flood, I lived with two different families before eventually landing in a house with some fellow students and school staff. Although this time was difficult, I also made great memories and had many meaningful conversations with my host families, with my fellow students, and with the other adults who were all in this situation together. Some of those conversations were formal debriefs with large groups, but more often it was one-on-one with an adult who I knew cared about me. These chats created space to share my thoughts and feelings and to process in real time, which in turn allowed for healing, empathy, vulnerability, and trust. To learn more about how you can start a conversation with a young person about difficult events, look at this article: Helping Kids Cope.

Check out this video to learn more about empathy and how it makes a difference in conversation.

When it comes to wildfire, talking to young people, providing them with facts and explanations of what fire is and why it happened, and allowing them time to process and ask questions can all help them cope with the stress and fear associated with living through this event. Visit this link to learn how to help children impacted by wildfires.

 

Work as a Community

One of the most impactful things during the flood was how the community I lived in came together to help. While building the sandbag walls, we had different groups come in each day to help or provide food. Even after the wall broke, we continued to help other families and organizations on the river. This was incredibly meaningful as it helped me to recognize that 1) I was not alone, and 2) together we could make a difference. It is important, when and where possible, to ensure that young people going through a hard experience have the opportunity to work with their community and to see that their actions matter.

During the Hermit’s Peak Calf Canyon (HPCC) Fire in 2022, the Guild saw the firsthand impacts of the wildfires on our youth crew members. During crew onboarding and training in early June, about 6 weeks into the fires, we discussed why how we treat the land matters and how a catastrophic fire can cause so much pain and distress. Many members felt uncomfortable but didn’t know how to speak up. We hadn’t taken members’ feelings of fear and anxiety over the real-time fires into consideration and quickly learned that large group settings before trust had been built were probably not the right setting for those conversations. Afterward, we gave a lot of thought to how we could empower our crew members instead so that they would be able to feel like they were making a difference, not just talking about it.

In 2023, we collaborated with the Hermit’s Peak Watershed Alliance and corps members from across the state spent a week working in the HPCC burn scar, helping the communities impacted by the fire. Our youth corps spent that week learning about watershed damage and restoration. They built erosion control and restoration structures to catch the significant amount of burned soil and debris washed away following the fire.

For many members, this was their favorite part of their season, seeing why it is so important to work as a community and feeling like they made a difference. For the Guild, it was incredibly rewarding that this project impacted and empowered our young people to come together in difficult situations. If you want to learn more about this work project, check out this article: Our Youth Corps' Collective Post-fire Restoration Efforts.

Additional Resources

 

Resources for Young People

Emotional distress: learn more about warning signs and risk factors for emotional distress related to wildfires and other disasters.

Graphic novel: create an account on Dark Horse to access this open-source graphic novel. Follow along as Meghan and Alexx encounter a wildfire, experience what it is like to be evacuated, and talk about fire safety in Without Warning! Wildfire Safety Comic.

Coloring book: educational wildland fire coloring sheets, available for download from The Smokey Generation (Wildfire Coloring Sheets).

 

Upcoming webinar

Wildfire is part of the landscape in the Southwest. It can be a threat to lives and property, but it is also crucial to maintaining healthy ecosystems. Please join the Southwest Fire Science Consortium for a webinar reviewing the top 8 biggest fires in the region in 2023 and looking ahead toward fire conditions for summer 2024. Presenters will place the 2023 fire season within the context of the last 10 years, pointing out trends and outliers in the timing, management costs, vegetation, and burn severity for each of 8 Southwestern fires larger than 10,000 acres, and then discuss the fire season outlook and summer weather forecast for the Southwest in 2024.

Wildfire Wednesdays #135: Fire Weather Alerts, Smoke Management, and Preparing for the Fire Season

Ahead of the 2024 Southwest fire season, this Wildfire Wednesday revisits information from Wildfire Wednesday #111 on red flag warnings, as well as information on smoke management, the 2024 fire season outlook, home hazard assessments, and a deep dive into homeowners insurance across the country.

Happy Wednesday, Fireshed Coalition readers!

Picture this: you wake up to the early morning light streaming in your window and turn your head to greet the day. You notice tree limbs dancing in the infamous New Mexico spring winds, see that the leaves on the bushes are looking pretty piqued, and remember that it has been a while since it’s rained. Pulling out your smartphone, you open the weather app to check the forecast. There, at the top of the application, is an alert which reads “Red Flag Warning” from the National Weather Service. What does that mean?
This week’s Wildfire Wednesday will break down alerts and watch-outs that come with the summer weather, including what they mean for fire risk and how to prepare for Red Flag days.

Today’s Wildfire Wednesday features:

Be well,
Rachel

 

Red Flag Warnings

 

The basics: what is a Red Flag Warning?

The origin of the name, Red Flag Warning, is a literal one, according to Tamara Wall of the Desert Research Institute: “If there was… high fire danger, local fire stations would go and run a red flag up the flagpole. It was a very visual, kind of pre-mass communications way to signal to people in the area that it was a high-danger day” (NPR, 4/14/23).

From the Ready! Set! Go! 4-page guide on the basics of Red Flag Warnings, how to respond, Red Flag safety tips, and more.

According to the National Weather Service (NWS), which issues these alerts in conjunction with local and state agencies, a Red Flag Warning is part of a weather forecast which indicates a local increase in fire danger risk in the next 12 to 24 hours. This increased risk is due to a combination of critical fuel conditions and critical weather conditions (warm temperatures, very low humidities, and strong winds). This means that if a wildfire starts, the conditions are right for it to spread rapidly and be difficult to contain. Red Flag Warnings differ in timing from a fire weather watch, which is a longer-term forecast that warns of the possible development of Red Flag conditions in the next 72 hours.

 

Indicators of fire weather

Resource and image adapted from the Northwest Fire Science Consortium.

This combination of 1. low relative humidity (RH), 2. strong surface wind, 3. unstable air (an incoming or outgoing storm system that creates a significant temperature differential between the land surface and lower atmosphere), and 4. drought creates critical fire weather (NWCG, Critical Fire Weather). When you see a Red Flag Warning, it means that critical fire weather is currently or will soon be occurring. The alert, whether online, on the news, or on your weather app, will usually indicate for how long the Red Flag Warning is forecast to last. Fire management personnel take Red Flag Warnings into account and may respond by changing staffing numbers or preemptively moving resources into a certain region to be prepared for a potential ignition. During extended periods of high risk, local authorities may consider policy decisions like banning campfires or closing specific areas (see ‘How to Respond’, below).

In the Southwest, drought becomes an important precursor to critical fire weather by drying out live vegetation as well as logs, sticks, needles, and grass on the ground, therefore increasing fuel availability. Critical fire weather elements, combined to create an unusually dry airmass for the region and season, produce extreme fire behavior when a fire does start. As we transition from El Niño to La Niña regional oscillations and hit the beginning of the summer weather, it is worth noting that light monsoons can produce gusty wind, low RH, and lightning without much precipitation. Learn more about the 2024 fire season drought and precipitation outlook here.

All Red Flag days are not equal and the response to Red Flag Warnings may be different in different areas and on different days depending on Planning Level or local decision makers (Weather.Gov Red Flag Index). Differences in Red Flag days depend on:

  • The magnitude of specific weather elements,

  • Antecedent fuel conditions (have things been dry for a long time leading up to the Red Flag day?),

  • Drought periods - it may not take “as much weather” to produce control problems (if fuels predisposed by being quite dry)

 

The geographic scope of Red Flag Warnings

There are several contributing factors when it comes to issuing a Red Flag Warning, but primary criteria include relative humidity of 15% or less combined with sustained surface winds, or frequent gusts, of 25 mph or greater. Both conditions must occur simultaneously for at least 3 hours out of a 12-hour period, according to the National Weather Service. Meteorologists also consider how all forecasted weather elements combine to create hazardous conditions (e.g. moderate humidity combined with high temperatures and high winds), even if they don’t fit the humidity and wind criteria individually.

For local Red Flag Warning alerts, meteorologists look at forecasted temperature, incoming and outgoing storm systems (high- and low-pressure systems) with their potential for wind, the likelihood of wet or dry lightning, the dryness of fuels based on recent precipitation and season, and how local terrain will interact with wind and potential ignitions (YouTube: Forecasting Fire Weather in the US). Local forecasts also inform the national NWS Fire Weather Outlook forecast by contributing to fire weather composite maps and short-wave ensemble forecasts.

Fire weather forecasts are specific to a certain geographic area based on storm systems, temperature, terrain, and winds. Accordingly, Red Flag Warnings are site-specific, which means that one part of the state (e.g. the eastern plains near Las Vegas) may be under a Red Flag Warning while another part (e.g. Santa Fe on the other side of the mountains) is not.

While Fire Weather Watches may be issued with meteorologists forecasting up to 8 days in advance, Red Flag Warnings are only issued when the critical fire weather conditions meeting the criteria for these Warnings are expected to begin in the next 12-24 hours.

Click to visit the Red Flag map from the National Weather Service

The National Weather Service provides information on the scope of Red Flag Warnings. This information may be found in the alert itself (a text box showing what cities or areas are covered by the alert), or can be found by visiting the NWS weather hazards map.

 

How to respond to a Red Flag Warning

Spread the word!

Educate your friends, family, and neighbors on what Red Flag Warnings are, what they mean, and how to respond when they see the warning pop up.

Research the scope of the Warning and restrictions for your area

Begin your fire restrictions research by clicking on the image to visit the Southwest Area Fire Restriction map, hosted by the National Interagency Fire Center and the SW Coordinating Group.

Visit the NWS interactive weather hazard map to determine the area covered by a particular Red Flag Warning. Once you know if your current (or planned) location is under a fire weather watch or Red Flag Warning, visit the local city or county webpage to find out if that area is also under current fire restrictions or burn bans. Both local municipalities and State and National Parks and National Forests may enter into fire restrictions for long periods of time. These restrictions indicate a prolonged (seasonal) period of dangerous fire weather. During the warm months, it is always a good idea to visit the webpage of your destination park or forest prior to leaving so that you are aware of any restrictions in place.

Adjust your behavior accordingly

  • DO NOT burn debris piles.

  • If you are allowed to burn in burn barrels in your area, cover them with a weighted metal cover.

  • DO NOT throw cigarettes or matches on the ground or out of a moving vehicle.

  • If outdoor fires are allowed, make sure to extinguish them properly. Drown fires and charcoal with plenty of water and stir with a shovel to make sure everything is cold to the touch with bare skin.

    • Never leave a fire or barbeque unattended. Sparks or embers can blow into leaves or grass, ignite a fire, and quickly spread.

  • Avoid parking a recently driven vehicle on dry grass or other areas with vegetative cover.

  • Ensure that no chains or hanging metal are dragging from your vehicle or tow-behind trailer which could cause a spark.

Prepare your home

  • Before leaving home for the day, make sure that all house and car windows are closed and bring flammable materials like outdoor cushions inside the home or garage.

  • Create defensible space (including removing dead vegetation from around the house and clearing debris from gutters, around doors, and under porches).

Plan for possible ignitions or evacuations

Photo credit: Sonoma County Emergency Management Department.

  • Prepare your go-bag

  • Keep your phone charged

  • Make sure you know where your loved ones — especially people with disabilities or mobility issues — are during the day

  • Make a plan for what to do with any pets or livestock in case of an evacuation.

 

Smoke Management

 

Air Quality

In February 2024, the U.S. EPA strengthened the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) for fine particle pollution (PM2.5). They have released several fact sheets about this rule change, including “Updates to the Air Quality Index…”, “Strengthening the National Air Quality Health Standard…”, “Wildland Fire, Air Quality, and Public Health Considerations”, and more.

 

HEPA Filter Loan Programs

Portable HEPA air filters provide clean and healthy breathable air to individuals and households by filtering out very small and harmful particles, such as those carried in wildfire smoke, allergens, and industrial smog. An episode of All Things Considered details the importance of making sure the air inside is clean and safe to breathe.

FACNM offers a HEPA filter loan program, with several participating areas across north and central New Mexico. These are prioritized for loan to smoke-sensitive individuals during periods of smoke impacts and are shared in coordination with network partners. An article from NPR highlighted the importance of a HEPA filter loan program in building public trust and how far individual actions can go, saying “today [Angie Krall, El Rito District Ranger, will] stop by a community library and lend an air filter to someone with asthma.”

For those who are unable to acquire a HEPA home air filtration system, ABC News and the NYT Wirecutter have guidelines for making your own DIY filters and FACNM offers guidelines on how to filter your air.

 

Smoke 101: Science Synthesis

In November 2023, the USDA Rocky Mountain Research Station hosted a land-management focused panel discussion with smoke experts to discuss the State of the Science about smoke. Topics included the differences in smoke from wildfires and prescribed fires, capability to accurately predict smoke, ecological impacts of smoke, climate modeling for future smoke load prediction, smoke exposure and health outcomes, and more. RMRS has since compiled the lessons learned from that panel discussion into a Science You Can Use: Smoke 101 synthesis!

 

State of the Air: 2024 Report from the American Lung Association

The Clean Air Act requires the U .S . Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to set health-based limits, called National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS), for six dangerous outdoor air pollutants: particulate matter, ozone, nitrogen oxides, sulfur dioxide, carbon monoxide and lead . “State of the Air” looks at two of the most widespread and dangerous pollutants from this group, fine particulate matter and ozone.
This year’s report finds that “wildfires in the western US and Canada remain the major contributing factor to increasing number of days and places with unhealthy levels of particle pollution… Wildfires are also continuing to increase the severity of pollution, resulting in the highest ever number of days designated as [‘very unhealthy’ or ‘hazardous’ air quality].”

 

Additional Resources

 

Upcoming Webinar

Home Hazard Assessments (HHAs) are an important fire risk and readiness tool. Join knowledgeable fire and forestry professionals from New Mexico and Colorado as they discuss digital and printed tools to complete HHAs, local partners who can guide the process or travel to complete HHAs on-site alongside property owners and residents, how different Assessment programs are structured, why HHAs are a key fire readiness tool, how county ordinances and insurance providers can influence the need for HHAs, and what opportunities may open up as a result of completing them.

The Southwest Fire Science Consortium has just released a home risk analysis fact sheet containing steps homeowners can take to reduce fire risk. Step #1 is - you may have guessed it - conducting an HHA! View the fact sheet here.

 

2024 Fire Season Weather Outlook

In this 30-minute overview, meteorologist Kerry Jones with the USDA Forest Service provides a summer 2024 fire season forecast. Watch the recording to learn about what the spring transition from El Niño to La Niña may mean for summer heat, fire likelihood and severity, monsoonal patterns, beneficial fire, and reforestation efforts.

 

New York Times: Climate Forward Newsletter

4 Takeaways from an Investigation into Homeowners Insurance
Journalists from the New York Times conducted a deep dive into the home insurance industry to investigate how it is being impacted by climate change and what the ramifications might be. Their key takeaways were:

  1. Climate change is upending the insurance market
    "Previously small-scale threats such as wildfires, hail, and windstorms have become more intense and frequent. That means the threat to insurers has grown as well… the insurance industry lost money on homeowners coverage in 18 states last year”.

  2. Insurers are pulling back coverage in surprising places
    States across the Midwest, Southeast, and West have “seen insurance companies stop writing homeowners insurance, or [make] it harder to qualify for coverage… They’re also raising rates by 50 percent or more in some places.” The challenge facing the homeowners insurance market “is probably unparalleled in recent decades”.

  3. The consequences of that pullback could affect the broader economy
    “A breakdown in homeowners insurance doesn’t just affect people who struggle to get coverage. Without insurance, banks won’t issue a mortgage; without a mortgage, most people can’t buy a home. Fewer prospective buyers can push home values down, which means less property tax revenue and less money for local government services.”

  4. States are intervening in different ways
    “State officials agree the trends aren’t good. They don’t agree on how to respond.” Some states are trying to make it easier for insurers to raise premiums; others are trying to reduce insurer losses by encouraging homeowners to make their properties more resilient; yet others are setting up high-risk state-supported coverage pools for homeowners who can’t get coverage on the private market.

Foresters for the Birds: Webinar tomorrow, May 14!

Bird Population Trends and Climate Effects in Southwestern National Parks

Join the Forest Stewards Guild and Southern Rockies Foresters for the Birds tomorrow, Tuesday, May 14, from 12:00 – 1:00 p.m. MT for a webinar on the impacts and influences of climate change on avian populations in the Southwest!

Climate change is considered a major driver of recent avian population declines, particularly in the drought-stricken southwestern United States. Predicting how bird populations will respond requires understanding the climatic drivers influencing population density across the region’s diverse habitats. In this webinar from the Forest Stewards Guild, Harrison Jones of The Institute for Bird Populations discusses his research modeling breeding-season densities of 50 bird species in relation to spring and summer drought and the timing of North American monsoon rainfall.

Additional webinars on wildlife:

Tuesday, May 21, 2024, 12:30-2:00p.m. MT: Wildlife and Fire: From Borders to Biota, Monitoring at Multiple Scales

In the second webinar of a yearlong Wildlife and Fire series from the Southwest Fire Science Consortium and partners, a panel of experts will discuss monitoring and collaboration at multiple scales at the intersection of fire and wildlife. Topics include the study of how fire and thinning may impact several important soil organisms that support forested wildlife habitat, large-scale monitoring of border infrastructure impacts on wildlife, stories from habitat recovery within large wildfire footprints, collaborations to manage sage grouse and their habitat, and observations on intra-agency differences coordinating wildlife management and fire recovery. Register to learn more about monitoring at multiple scales on May 21!

The GSFFC is a coalition of public and private organizations. The GSFFC is not a subdivision of the State of New Mexico, as defined in the state’s Open Meetings Act, §§ 10-15-1 to 10-15-4 NMSA 1978. Although federal agencies participate in the GSFFC, the Coalition is not a federal advisory board and was not created by a federal agency, as defined by the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA), 5.U.S.C. app. 2, §§ 1 to 16 (2012). The GSFFC operates informally to support its partners, and is not incorporated as a non-profit, 501(C)(3), partnership, or other legal status.