State urges residents to protect homes amid elevated wildfire risk

An historically low winter snowpack is creating dangerous conditions across the state, with dry grass fuels building in the eastern plains and heavy tree fuels accumulating in forested areas.

“We’re heading into an exceptionally warm and dry wildfire season,” said EMNRD Acting Secretary Erin Taylor. “These extreme conditions call for extra precautions. We need everyone to take action to prevent wildfires from impacting their communities.”

“Wildfire doesn’t care if it burns in an urban or rural community,” said State Forester Laura McCarthy. “Our firefighters will continue to respond to wildfires as they ignite, and we need landowners to play their part. Home hardening and defensible space are some of the most impactful—and easiest—steps people can take to stop the spread of catastrophic wildfire.”

Wildfire Prepared Homes 

New Mexico offers homeowners access to the Wildfire Prepared Homes program, run by the Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS). Homes that meet the program’s standards receive a certification that can be submitted to insurers as proof of wildfire preparedness. This certification may help homeowners maintain coverage as insurers increasingly decline to cover homes in high-risk areas. Applications and a full checklist of required standards are available through wildfireprepared.org.

Homeowners receiving insurance through the New Mexico F.A.I.R Plan—which covers qualified individuals who cannot secure insurance in the normal market—may be eligible for grants to offset retrofit costs; visit the New Mexico Office of the Superintendent of Insurance’s website for additional information.

Steps you can take to “harden” your home 

Wildfire defense starts with understanding embers—small pieces of burning vegetation that can be carried by winds over a mile ahead of a fire’s front. Embers can lodge in pine needles or leaf litter on a home’s roofs and gutters or on flammable vegetation near the walls of your home.

Key steps homeowners can take include:

• Clear out the first 5 feet from the walls of your home

• Clear all dead vegetation, including plants, grass, weeds and pine needles. Maintain spacing between plants and trees.

• Move flammable items at least 5 feet away from your home, including wood piles, trash cans, deck chair cushions and anything stored under your deck. Maintain space between those items.

• Replace combustible mulch with gravel or non-combustible material.

• Prune back large shrubs and trim overhanging branches.

For additional guidance, visit the Forestry Division’s fire safety planning webpage. You can also watch this segment from KOAT that shows defensible space in action.

This year, Southwest Wildfire Awareness Week runs March 23 to 28 and is a collaboration between the New Mexico Forestry Division, the Bureau of Land Management, the U.S. Forest Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife, Bureau of Indian Affairs, the National Park Service, and the Arizona Department of Forestry and Fire Management.