Fire Information
The New Mexico Fire Information website is an interagency effort by federal and state agencies in New Mexico to provide timely, accurate fire and restriction information for the entire state. The agencies that support this site are National Park Service, Fish and Wildlife Service, Bureau of Indian Affairs, State of New Mexico, Forest Service, and Bureau of Land Management.
New Mexico State Forestry (NMSF)
NMSF has statutory responsibility for wildfire suppression on all non-federal, non-municipal, non-tribal and non-pueblo lands. The state is divided into six districts. Each district office works with volunteer and paid fire departments, and cooperating agencies in the suppression of wildfire and protection of New Mexico citizens. Coordination of funding opportunities and programs are handled through the state office in Santa Fe. Specific information can be found on the NMSF website.
Fire Prevention and Outreach
To receive email updates on active, state jurisdiction wildfires, click this link to subscribe:
http://eepurl.com/lvd3T
Ready, Set, Go! Program
The Ready, Set, Go! Program is designed to give homeowners, fire departments and others, practical, step by step guidelines on how to be prepared for when a wildfire threatens communities. Click here for a downloadable copy of the New Mexico Action Guide.
Living with Fire - A Homeowner's Guide - Courtesy of NMSF
Fires, Smoke, and Your Health
"Smoke is a complex mixture of carbon dioxide, water vapor, carbon monoxide, particulate matter, hydrocarbons and other organic chemicals, nitrogen oxides, and metals. This mixture can irritate and even injure the mouth, nose, throat, and lung tissue. In healthy people, symptoms of smoke exposure usually include irritation of eyes, nose and throat or breathing discomfort. More severe symptoms may include chest tightness, wheezing, shortness of breath, and coughing.
If you have asthma, a chronic lung disease, or cardiovascular disease, smoke exposure can aggravate these conditions. In smoky conditions, if you develop symptoms which do not respond to your usual medication, see your health care provider immediately.
Prolonged exposure to smoke of all kinds is harmful to people of all ages. Like cigarette smoke, smoke from fires can eventually damage your body’s ability to remove large particles and excess phlegm from your lungs and airway. But, the healthy lung has a great ability to recover from the effects of smoke, provided there is time to recover."
For additional information, please visit the New Mexico Environmental Public Health Tracking website at NM EPHT Environmental Exposures: Fire, Smoke and Your Health
