Are we headed to the Dust Bowl days of the 30’s here in New Mexico? We are in a severe drought for the third year that see’s some villages running out of water in the state. Ranchers and farmers are bracing for the worst case. Yesterday in the Albuquerque area wind speeds hit 88mph at the Tram and in other parts of New Mexico, 50 to 70 mph gusts causing downed trees and power lines. Blowing dust is a problem in the area both for health and safety reasons.
URGENT UPDATE: This is from Fire Information Officer Harvey Twite, my buddy in Ruidoso, NM
Dewey,
We sure could use some prayers for firefighters and families tonight.
The Curtis Fire, human caused, started at 4:50 today 2 acres…now 200 acres.
Harvey
Lincoln National Forest – New Fire: Curtis – 4/17/13 – 1930 Update
April 17, 2013 by lbenavidez
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Fire Name: Curtis
Incident Commander: Caleb Finch, USFS
Date and Time Detected: 4/17/13 – 1528 hours
Jurisdiction: Lincoln National Forest and State Land
Location: 2 1/2 miles southwest of Mayhill, NM, near Curtis Canyon Dam, north of Highway 130
Current Size: 200 acres
Containment: 10%
Resources: Two Forest Service hotshot crews and three engines, and numerous cooperating Otero County Emergency Response resources.
Firefighters have been successful in keeping the fire from spreading across Highway 130. They are focusing their efforts on the northern flank.
Fire Behavior: Some spotting was reported earlier, but cooler temperatures and a decrease in winds is helping with the firefighting efforts.
Fuel Type: Pinon juniper and grass understory and Ponderosa Pine stringers in canyon bottoms.
Cause: Human-caused and is currently under investigation
Otero County Emergency Management initially requested evacuations of homes in the immediate vicinity of the fire — Approximately 19 homes were evacuated and pre-notification notices were issued to residents in the immediate area. A shelter has been established in the Village of Cloudcroft.
Last night blizzard conditions hit the Raton, NM area, snow in Magdalena, NM and a wildfire was burning near Mayhill, NM causing some evacuations. Wildfires are a severe threat at this time in New Mexico.
Bernalillo County banned open burning for the day after the National Weather Service issued a “red flag warning” for dangerous conditions into Wednesday night.
The weather service bases its warning on a combination of factors and for the afternoon was forecasting winds gusting to 45 mph, relative humidity of 5-15 percent and enough dry fuels to feed wildfires.
The Bernalillo County Fire Department maintains a Burn Advisory Hotline residents can check for updates aon when outdoor burning is allowed. The number is 468-7200.
let us gather as the Body of Christ and repent and pray for rain. I call for us all to pray for rain at NOON everyday!
