Firefighting costs estimated at $3 million
Copyright 2006 Albuquerque Journal
By DAVE KAVANAUGH
Albuquerque Journal (New Mexico)
MORA, N.M. — Despite gusty conditions and topography that made their jobs trickier, firefighters have nearly won the battle against the Ojo Feliz Fire.
The fire was reported 80 percent contained and held at roughly 16,600 acres Monday, incident commander Bob Lineback told Gov. Bill Richardson and approximately 200 Mora County residents attending a town hall meeting at the Martinez Gymnasium.
Lineback estimated that fire suppression efforts alone will cost more than $3 million. The tally so far, since crews first responded early Wednesday, has been approximately $2.4 million, he said.
That figure does not include disaster relief assistance and other costs expected to help the area recover. Richardson, who flew over the fire for the second time Monday morning, said it appeared that roads, water and sewage systems and other infrastructure — along with private property — had been damaged.
“We’re trying to assess the total damage,” he said. A disaster declaration at the onset of the fire cleared the way for reimbursements from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, and Richardson promised state help.
“We need assistance like today,” said Ojo Feliz resident Andy Alcon, who said he’d been unable to tend to his cattle.
Three outbuildings and a car in the Ojo Feliz community were reported destroyed as a result of the blaze, Lineback said, noting that initial accounts of a home being consumed turned out to be inaccurate. At 8 a.m. Monday, an evacuation order for several villages was lifted, allowing dozens of displaced residents to return to their homes.
Full containment is expected by late today, Lineback said, and by then, his Type 2 team will turn the fire back over to state forestry officials. The number of firefighters battling the blaze dropped from nearly 500 on Sunday to 350 by late Monday, and shuttles of crew members could be seen heading for home Monday morning.
But officials acknowledged that weather conditions could change that prognosis.
“We’re guardedly optimistic it’s going to hold,” Lineback said of a fire line that crews have managed to create surrounding the blaze.
The primary hot spot, as the governor observed during his flyover, remained in a Los Hueros canyon. For a couple of days, as the fire raged to the north, the village of Los Hueros was threatened, but flames never hit the community’s properties, Lineback said.
“We’re extremely pleased with how smooth the operation went the last few days,” said state forester Butch Blazer. “The cooperation shown is exactly what the governor expects. And as a result of that cooperation, we prevented a lot of area from being burned.”
Several people attending the meeting thanked fire crews for their efforts, and some hailed quick reactions by the governor and other state and local officials, agencies and volunteers such as the American Red Cross, which set up shelters for evacuees.
“One family needed insulin, and we were able to get that,” said Mora County Commission Chairman Rosalie Regensberg. “We’re lucky to live in a small community. We know where the doctor lives.”
Others pointed to problems with how the operation has been handled. One woman called state police “inconsiderate” and another complained that residents had a hard time getting updated information.
A major concern aired Monday was the impact the fire — believed to have been human caused — will have on ranches.
“What we have now is scorched earth,” said Phillip Cantu. “It was bad before when there was drought. What’s going to happen to those who can’t feed their cattle?”
State forestry spokesman Dan Ware announced plans to launch a public awareness campaign May 1.
“We don’t want people to become complacent,” he said. “We’re dealing with various fire threats at various topographies in the state.”