Raging fires burn thousands of acres in Colorado, New Mexico

Quote:
Wind was also playing a major role in the expansion of a lightning-sparked blaze in New Mexico's Lincoln National Forest that jumped its containment lines and raced through thick conifer forests. Fire managers said 20 structures were damaged or destroyed

@boxerdc Said

There are fires out there again? Doesn't this happen every year about this time? Is it because they don't allow normal wild fires to burn, so vegetation builds up and then fires get out of control?

@DiscordTiger Said

The main problem is drought, summer lighting storms and serious wind. But yeah there is always fire every year. If we are lucky it gets put put soon. If not we have these problems. If the trees are not as dry they burn slower. I think this year it was lighting storms that started them, not stupid people like the AZ one.

The gila has been trying different fire control methods and they think it might help keep the fires moving slower and not as hot. But it's still too soon to tell if it worked as a strategy to implement in other places. They do let smaller fires burn out and do controled burns.

Sadly the real amazing story would be there were no fires in the summer in NM. The best we can hope for is that they stay away from towns and people dont get hurt and the animals find a way out.

@DiscordTiger Said

So what this makes the third fire in the state. (or is it Colorado?) Lincoln is the eastern part if the state, but I can't remember if the forest is the north or south, I get the forest confused with the county all the time.

Seriously NM has been on fire for like a month, and national news doesn't cover it until some other state is on fire too.

anyway, I think the huge on in the Gila (that was two that merged) had really bad smoke.

I saw another one this week, I think they are calling it "bear springs" in the Sangre de Cristos, up near Los Alamos where the big one was last year. The smoke wasn't as bad but enough to freak me out on the way to work, It looks so close the angle of the road even though it isn't. I think thought they were saying they might catch a break with that one as most of the area is still burnt out from last year there is not much fuel for it to get really big. Or that is what they hope.

I'm still a little bummed that the fires lead to the end of the Dixon farms, those Winesaps were a damn good and unique apple. And now there is a boat load of arguing over the land and stuff, sad, just sad.

@Grasshopper Said

Damn....

Hope it gets put under control over there. The one over here right now is at 14,000 acres.

I feel so sad for all the wildlife that are perishing.

@white_swan53 Said

The Gila fire has been burning for more then a month, I read somewhere that hey have been letting it burn just guiding it t times when it threatens some where they don't want burned.
It's this one in Lincoln county that they are calling the bear .
I spent 3 1/2 seasons as a USFS firefighter and was sent all over the western part of the country. Idaho, Montana, Calf. Arizona New Mexico , and your right New Mexico never made the news no matter how large or long a fire burned.

@DiscordTiger Said

There are two fires in NM with similar names. "bear springs" near jemez Spings and Santa Fe (I can see that smoke from my place). And " little bear" fire in the lincoln near riodoso.
The one I've been saying is in the gila is called whitewater-baldy fire. But yeah they usually let them burn in the gila until it threatens something or the endangered animals. The theory is it supposed to be more natural, since fire happens let it do it's part in the cycle without disastrous concequences and that will lead to shorter less hot fires in the future. I remember we talked about it a lot in bio classes. The teachers were pretty active in wildlife rescue and the forest service. So both at HS and college level it was a topic that came up. It's totally different mindset than the traditional throw everything we've got at it and hope for the best method. If the science behind it turns out to be right and applicable to other places that have wildfires it could be a good thing for the future.

@Grasshopper Said

Here's a couple pictures I took while we were up at Horsetooth Reservoir... This Summer is bad for fires everywhere, huh?


Uploaded at ImageFra.me


Uploaded at ImageFra.me