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Due to increasingly dry and warm conditions, Doña Ana County, among others around the state, are now under a state ban prohibiting smoking, fireworks, campfires, open burning and open fires.
The Energy Minerals and Natural Resources Forestry Division announced the restrictions on Monday, May 19th. The restrictions will be in effect until the State Forester rescinds them.
The dry and warm conditions have been exasperated by low humidity, high winds and an abundance of dry fine fuels in both forest land and grass land. Wildfire danger is at extremely high levels.
The restrictions are in effect for non-municipal, non-federal and non-Tribal lands and, in addition to Doña Ana, include the following counties: Catron, Chaves, Cibola, De Baca, Eddy, Grant, Hidalgo, Lea, Lincoln, Luna, Otero, Roosevelt, Sierra, Socorro, Torrance, and Valencia.
The National Weather Service long-range prediction for New Mexico expects the annual monsoon season to arrive on time, starting in July. If this proves true, and the monsoon rains are productive, the state could lift restrictions.
What’s prohibited
Exceptions
The full list of restrictions and exceptions can be found at the Division’s Fire Restrictions page: https://www.emnrd.nm.gov/sfd/find-current-fire-restrictions/. Instructions for requesting an exception can be found here.