As New Mexicans watch and worry about the families and animals affected by the fires in Ruidoso and a fire last week in the Bernalillo County Bosque, Corrales fire officials are encouraging village residents to review their fire plans.
According to the Corrales Fire Department (CFD), if Corrales residents don’t have a fire plan, they need to make one.
Officials also say that if homeowners leave on a vacation or business trip and have a house or pet sitter, a plan should be shared about how to evacuate pets and farm animals.
Corrales is about 11 square miles, or roughly 7,040 acres. The village sits near the Bosque and drier-than-normal conditions have been reported in the area this year. According to a 2022 study by the New Mexico Environment Department, Corrales is a high-risk community due to its proximity to the Bosque and other fire hazards.
The South Fork and Salt fires near Ruidoso have already burned more than 25,000 acres. Fire officials warn that hot and dry conditions mixed with low humidity can lead to a catastrophic fire anywhere in the state.Â
“We have cotton on the ground currently and it is extremely flammable,†said CFD Cmdr. Tanya Lattin in a press release. “The best way to deal with it is to wet the cotton and rake it up since burning it is banned in the village.â€
Earlier this month, the Village Council put restrictions on fireworks, but CFD is urging Corraleños not to use fireworks altogether. Weed burning is also restricted in the village.
Visit corrales-nm.org/fire/page/code-red to sign up for email and text alerts.
CFD has also created sample animal evacuation plans, available at corrales-nm.org/media/10231.