Los Alamos County, N.M., home to the National Nuclear Security Administration’s Los Alamos National Laboratory is under stage 1 fire restrictions by order of the county’s fire marshal.
The restrictions, brought on by seasonal high temperatures and dry conditions, went into effect July 7, the Los Alamos County Fire Department (LAFD) said in a statement. Fire Marshal James Pepe consulted other agency partners and reviewed the potential threat of wildfire, before announcing the restrictions.
“Seasonal fire restrictions are often developed based on specific criteria related to wildland fire risk, such as vegetation moisture content, weather outlooks, human risk factors and firefighting resource availability,” Pepe said. “Cooperation of agency partners, such as LAFD, Los Alamos National Lab, New Mexico State Forestry, Santa Fe National Forest, and Bandelier share information and monitor regional weather conditions to take a team approach to reducing wildfire risk.”
Similar restrictions are in place at Los Alamos National Laboratory and federal, and state levels and are expected to continue and possibly increase until the region receives consistent moisture, the LAFD said. Weather forecasts indicate hotter-than-normal temperatures with below-average precipitation in northern New Mexico this summer, meaning forests and grasslands will likely stay dry and prone to fires until late July or when regular monsoon rains arrive, LAFD said.
Stage 1 restrictions forbid the building or maintaining of outdoor fires – including campfires, charcoal and wood fires – except within a developed recreation site. Fireworks of any kind are also banned, as is smoking except within an enclosed vehicle or building, a developed recreation site or “while stopped in an area at least 3 feet in diameter that is barren or cleared of all flammable material,” the LAFD said. Personnel working within wildland and undeveloped areas may not smoke during activities at these locations.
Residents can also follow the US Forest Service and New Mexico State Forestry restrictions when traveling outside of Los Alamos. For more information visit or if you have additional questions contact the LAFD-Fire Marshal’s Office or call LAFD at 505-662-8103. Email [email protected].
