WILDFIRES - New Mexico Burning

With July 4 just two days away; a month of smoke haze and air quality warnings in Albuquerque; bans on fireworks (even though the vendor stands are still up and selling like crazy) and road and public land closings. I have to seriously wonder where we humans have our priorities. Ah, yes the all mighty dollar and our own amusement or S & G’s.

We humans will have our fireworks, legal or not and who gives a darn if the woods catch fire and some people lose their homes or worse, their lives – as long as it is not us and we had fun, what’s the problem right?. After all with this economy, the vendors have to make their money and with the depressing troubles in the news we need a little entertainment and fun to chase the blues away. We don’t really need all those trees to release oxygen into the air do we? So what if we are in a drought, the plants will grow back fast enough to prevent landslides, right?

Think living in the city or town will save ya? Better think again - In Albuquerque we have a heavily wooded Bosque that runs through the center of town; the Sandia and Manzano Mtns are a tinder box waiting to go up on Albuquerque’s east side - Ask Luna and Ruidoso or Silver City how much being in town protected them.

A FIRE - woodland or urban is inhuman – it is all consuming; it doesn’t care what country we are from; what our political affiliation is; if we are rich or poor or what color our skin is and it most assuredly doesn't give a dam if it is convenient or not. It is a beast, a fire breathing dragon running amok and our only “dragon slayers” are our firefighters!

If you currently live in the High danger zones for this July (2011): (New Mexico, west Texas, southern Colorado, western Oklahoma, Nevada, southern Utah, southern California, eastern Louisiana, southern Mississippi or southwestern Alabama or small areas of: Georgia, South Carolina, Florida, Montana, Massachusetts or Wyoming) you had best pay particular attention to this information.

To keep abreast of Wildfires check out the U.S. Forest Service @ http://gacc.nifc.gov/ and www.publiclands.org/firenews/. For New Mexico see http://nmfireinfo.wordpress.com/, http://nmroads.com/, http://www.cabq.gov/airquality/ or any of the local news outlets.

For information on fireworks and the 4th of July in New Mexico see:
City promises big consequences if fireworks spark fires http://www.kob.com/article/stories/S2182623.shtml?cat=500

Public Fireworks Displays http://events.kob.com/default.aspx?ct=r&q=fireworks

For detailed information on Wildfire prevention and safety see WILDFIRES - New Mexico Burning - Safety Tips & Prevention @ http://www.scribd.com/doc/59214243/WILDFIRES-New-Mexico-Burning-Safety-Tips-Prevention

For additional downloadable information see Wildfire Tips -Downloads & Links @ http://www.scribd.com/doc/59214071/Wildfire-Tips-Downloads-Links

This July 4 let us be responsible for our own actions or inaction.
Be Smart – Be Safe

TNT