June 4, 2021
Exceptional drought brings early heat to 2021 wildfire season Written by Nickolas Seibel on June 4, 2021
(Photo Courtesy of the USFS)
A plane from the Silver City Aerial Fire Base’s arsenal drops 750 gallons during a recent practice run.
By STEPHEN DUMAS
Daily Press Correspondent
It’s summertime in southwest New Mexico, and that means backyard barbecues, trips to cool off in the river and outdoor markets that are starting to return to normal. It also most certainly means that it’s wildfire season, and there are already dangerous conditions in nearby forests that are a tinderbox waiting to ignite.
With state rainfall drastically down, humidity dropping into the single digits and daily temperatures rising, fires are already consuming wilderness and National Forest lands.