Firefighters are starting to get a handle on the biggest fire in New
Mexico history, but officials say they still have a long way to go. The
conflagration — which has consumed more than 241,701 acres in the
southwestern part of the state and scorched stretches of the Gila
Wilderness — is now 17% contained, officials said Sunday. That’s up from
10% on Friday. “We’ll see those containment numbers grow, but 70%
of the fire is in wilderness areas, and it’s very tough to hike crews
in, so we’ll see a point when those numbers slow down,” Ricardo Zuniga, a
spokesman for the government inter-agency team responsible for the 1,236 personnel fighting the fire, told the Los Angeles Times...more
Notice the firefighters would have to "hike" into the wilderness, because no motorized vehicles are allowed. Homes burned, resources and wildlife destroyed, but protect that wilderness.
1 comment:
Knowledgeable folks reporting that 50%+ of the Gila Wilderness vegetation has been consumed by this fire. Watershed damage to the headwaters of Gila Creek. Endangered Gila Trout will have to be restocked. Habitat for the Bighorns reduced. Soil erosion potential greatly enhanced. Water quality reduced, stream siltation increased,wildlife habitat reduced, tourist dollars going elsewhere. Good Job!
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