New Mexico Fires

MarketArt

Roughly half of the state's counties are now coping with fires. First Tauck NM tour of season is scheduled to begin this week. I'm thinking people will be masking up even with new relaxed rules. Some of the areas being hit are not all that far from Albuquerque and Santa Fe, so air quality will be an issue. Stay safe, everyone.

Claudia Sails

I live just east of Albuquerque and right now none of the fires are causing problems in the areas the Tauck tour goes to. It is going to be a long fire season unless our summer monsoon rains start and continue through the summer. Right now it's hot, dry and we've had some really windy days. The prevailing winds usually come from the west or southwest. Often the fires that cause the most air quality problems here are out of the SW corner of the state ( the Gila wilderness) or Arizona. Right now pollen is a bigger concern air quality wise and masks do help with that. I do agree that if fire conditions change a mask can help.

MarketArt

Thanks for the update. Claudia. I was just looking at distances from some of current fires. Sounds like it will be a long fire season. Take care.

British

Every time either New Mexico or Arizona are mentioned on the news, I think whether it’s affecting Claudia or Sam.
Wow, Claudia, hot weather! A bit envious right now. I managed my first outdoor swim yesterday and it was lovely, but today it’s freezing. This global warming is so scarey.

Claudia Sails

This week is supposed to be better. All my shrubs and perennials are leafing out. Today I'll bring my pots of geraniums out of the garage for their first dose of sunlight. Will have to watch the weather though. We have had snow in May some years.

BKMD

The smoke all depends on the wind. Last summer, here in Colorado, we had smoke for almost a month (August, IIRC) blowing in from California wildfires.

Smiling Sam

BKMD - I thought I’d read that the smoke last year in Colorado was from all the potheads in Denver! 😂

Claudia Sails

Yes, we had a lot of that too last summer. It was such a huge fire season for them. Years ago in the Tetons, Yellowstone and Glacier there was bad air from fires in Oregon. The day we arrived in Glacier it rained all day. The next the skies were completely clear and the park so full you couldn't find a parking spot at the visitor center - and that was a weekday after Labor Day.

wind direction make a huge difference. The Ruidoso fire in southern NM that was causing big problems a week or so ago was too far east to cause problems for Albuquerque or Santa Fe. The panhandle of Texas likely had some bad air. There is a northern one right now that is large and causing concern to people near Las Vegas, NM but it's east of Santa Fe and Taos.

BKMD

Sam - Better check the expiration date on your joke vitamins.