Governor says state's chief focus is on saving lives

Apr. 24—SANTA FE — With wildfires igniting around New Mexico, Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham called on state residents Saturday to heed evacuation orders and brace for a long fire season.

In a briefing, the governor said there were 20 active wildfires burning in 16 different counties around New Mexico as of Saturday afternoon — or in nearly half the state's 33 counties.

"It is only April and yet we are seeing fire spread ... that we have only ever seen in late May or June," Lujan Grisham told reporters.

She also said dry conditions and ferocious winds — gusts in excess of 90 mph were recorded at the top of Kachina Peak at Taos Ski Valley — had created an "unprecedented" day of fire activity on Friday.

While winds were slightly slower and temperatures lower on Saturday, the governor said the fire danger would likely continue to be omnipresent.

"We are cognizant this is going to be a tough, long week and I want New Mexicans to be prepared for that," Lujan Grisham said.

In all, the governor said more than 1,000 firefighters were working to battle blazes across the state, including crews from other states.

With several fires growing rapidly, Lujan Grisham said she spoke with White House officials Saturday about the possibility of getting emergency federal aid and expressed concern about the possibility of severe fire damage to New Mexico watersheds.

But the governor said her primary focus was on saving lives.

"I don't want to minimize how dangerous the situation is and how dramatic it is," Lujan Grisham said.

"We need people to leave areas that have fire warnings," the governor added. "There's no reason for us to lose anyone because they made the decision to stay despite mandatory evacuation orders."

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Meanwhile, the governor also said a complex fire that started in San Miguel County was threatening roughly 900 structures.

It was unclear Saturday how many homes and other structures had already been destroyed by the complex's two fires — the Calf Canyon and Hermits Peak fires — that merged.

However, more than 200 structures have already been burned statewide due to fires this year, Lujan Grisham said.

The governor, who was joined for Saturday's briefing by top state forestry and emergency management officials, said investigations into the causes of many of the fires were still ongoing.

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But Lujan Grisham and other officials expressed frustration that one of the blazes — the Hermits Peak Fire in San Miguel County — was started by the U.S. Forest Service as a prescribed burn. The fire then blew out of control due to high winds.

State Forester Laura McCarthy said the fire could prompt changes in how government agencies conduct prescribed burns, which are used to reduce the potential for large out-of-control blazes.

"There probably won't be any more prescribed burning in the spring," she said.

While New Mexico law prohibits the governor from banning firework sales statewide, Lujan Grisham said she would urge cities and counties to enact local bans. She said she had already spoken with several New Mexico mayors about doing so.