...FIRE WEATHER WATCH IN EFFECT SATURDAY FOR ALL AREAS DUE TO
STRONG WINDS, VERY LOW HUMIDITY, WELL ABOVE NORMAL TEMPERATURES,
AND AN UNSTABLE AIRMASS...
.Increasing southwest winds combined with above normal warmth,
and extremely dry and unstable conditions will lead to critical
fire weather conditions across all of northern and central New
Mexico Saturday. A significant fire growing pattern will continue
Sunday and Memorial Day as winds strengthen further with extreme
dryness, well above normal temperatures, and poor overnight
humidity recoveries.
...FIRE WEATHER WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM SATURDAY MORNING
THROUGH SATURDAY EVENING...
* AREA AND TIMING...Northwest Plateau, Northwest and West
Central Highlands, Middle Rio Grande Valley, North Central and
Sandia, Manzano and Gallinas Mountains, Northeast Highlands,
Northeast and East Central Plains from late Saturday morning
through Saturday evening.
* 20 FOOT WINDS...Southwest 20 to 25 mph with gusts to around 40
mph.
* RELATIVE HUMIDITY...5 to 10 percent. Ten to 14 hours of single
digit humidity is likely for most areas between the Continental
Divide and the Pecos Valley with 5 to 10 hours elsewhere.
* IMPACTS...Any fires that develop will likely spread rapidly.
Outdoor burning is not recommended.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
Please advise the appropriate officials or fire crews in the
field of this Fire Weather Watch.
&&
...AIR QUALITY ALERT...
The following message is transmitted at the request of the New Mexico
Departments of Health and Environment, United States Forest Service
and the Interagency Wildland Fire Air Quality Response Program.
* WHAT...Smoke from the Black and Bear Trap fires will not be
transported as far south or southeast this evening; however
significant impacts to include UNHEALTHY air quality at times are
expected in close proximity to the fires as well as along portions
of the neighboring Mimbres and Rio Grande Valleys, especially during
the evening. Elsewhere, smoke from the Hermits Peak-Calf Canyon fire
is expected to produce UNHEALTHY air quality at times around Pecos,
San Jose, and Ribera south and west to Eldorado, Lamy, the Santa Fe
metro, Estancia Valley, and around Clines Corners tonight. Going
into Friday and Saturday, haze will likely be more noticeable and
persistent away from the larger fires to include the Middle Rio
Grande Valley.
* WHERE...The most significant impacts from smoke are expected to
persist across much of Catron, western Socorro, northern Grant,
northern Luna, western Sierra, western San Miguel, southern Santa
Fe, and Torrance counties. More details on impacted locations and
latest air quality information can be found at
https://fire.airnow.gov.
* WHEN...Remainder of this evening through at least 1 pm MDT Friday,
May 27.
* IMPACTS...Those with conditions such as asthma, chronic obstructive
pulmonary disease, interstitial lung disease, lung cancer, and heart
disease will be especially vulnerable to impacts from poor air
quality, as will adults over age 65, young children, and pregnant
women if smoke concentrations become unhealthy.
* HEALTH INFORMATION...Remember, your eyes are your best tools to
determine if it is safe to be outside. Use the 5-3-1 Method
available at
https://nmtracking.org/environment/air/FireAndSmoke.html.
If visibility is:
Under 5 miles, the air quality is unhealthy for young children,
adults over age 65, pregnant women, and people with heart
and/or lung disease, asthma or other respiratory illness.
Outdoor activity should be minimized.
Around 3 miles, young children, adults over age 65, pregnant
women, and people with heart and/or lung disease, asthma or other
respiratory illness should avoid all outdoor activities.
Around 1 mile, the air quality is unhealthy for everyone. People
should remain indoors and avoid all outdoor activities including
running errands. Unless an evacuation has been issued, stay inside
your home, indoor workplace, or in a safe shelter.
With the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic affecting New Mexico and with the
wildfire season underway, New Mexicans will need to take extra
precautions. Smoke from wildfires may cause people to have more
severe reactions if they are infected COVID-19. The best way to
protect against the potentially harmful effects of wildfire smoke and
to reduce the spread of COVID-19 is to stay home and create a clean
indoor air space. NMDOH offers tips here:
https://nmtracking.org/environment/air/IndoorQuality.html and
https://cv.nmhealth.org
New Mexicans will also need to take steps to keep their homes cool to
avoid heat-related illnesses. NMDOH offers tips here:
https://nmtracking.org/health/heatstress/Heat.html.
For smoke forecast outlooks from the Interagency Wildland Fire Air
Quality Response Program please visit:
https://outlooks.wildlandfiresmoke.net.
