Statewide fire restrictions enacted as wildfire risk rises across New Mexico

Backyard burn piles, campfires and fireworks were shut down across McKinley County under new statewide fire restrictions as New Mexico moved to reduce the odds of a human-caused blaze during a stretch of hot, dry and windy weather.

State Forester Laura McCarthy enacted the order for non-federal, non-Tribal and non-municipal lands statewide, and it remained in effect until rescinded. The Forestry Division said the restrictions were driven by unseasonably hot temperatures, critically low humidity, high winds and abundant dry fine fuels. State officials also said nine out of 10 wildfires start because of human activity.

For Gallup, Zuni Pueblo and the surrounding ranch country, the practical change is immediate: no smoking in restricted areas, no fireworks, no open burning, no campfires, no prescribed burning, no agricultural or debris burning and no gas flaring on covered lands. That means burn barrels, slash piles and other routine cleanup fires need to wait, and anyone working around homes, corrals or fence lines has to be extra careful with anything that throws sparks.

The restrictions matter because the region has already been under severe fire weather pressure. Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham’s drought emergency order last year said 96.21 percent of New Mexico was abnormally dry and about half the state was in extreme to exceptional drought. A separate U.S. Forest Service update this spring cited persistent drought, dry vegetation, recent wildfire activity and human-caused ignitions as continuing dangers in New Mexico and neighboring areas. Common triggers include unattended campfires, debris burning, dragging trailer chains and using landscaping or power equipment that can strike a spark.

Federal and state fire rules have tightened at the same time. The Santa Fe National Forest began Stage 1 fire restrictions on April 2 and kept them in place through Sept. 30, underscoring how quickly conditions have worsened across the state.

NM Fire Info said its Southwest Area Fire Restrictions Dashboard can help track current restrictions and noted that county rules may also appear there when provided. Residents are being told to check with McKinley County fire departments or other local agencies before burning anything outdoors, because the fastest way to start a wildfire here is still the simplest: one careless spark on dry ground.