Forest Service completes assessment of Medio Fire impact in Santa Fe National Forest

The Forest Service Burned Area Emergency Response (BAER) Team assigned to the Medio Fire on the Santa Fe National Forest completed a rapid assessment of the fire’s effects. The assessment included information on the potential for post-fire flooding, erosion, and sedimentation. The primary focus of the report was on immediate risks to human life and safety. The team used satellite imagery to map the burn severity of the approximately 4,000-acre Medio Fire. Nearly half of the fire’s acreage (approximately 49%) burned at low severity, with 16% at high severity and 14% at moderate severity. The remaining 21% of the footprint, including 24 acres of rock outcrop, was unburned. Since the fire happened during the SFNF’s typical spring fire season, “the probability of the monsoonal rainfall that usually causes the most severe post-fire flooding is much lower,” Acting Forest Supervisor Debbie Cress said.
KRQE-TV CBS/Fox 13 Albequerque

Doña Ana County to give ’hazard pay’ to some essential public employees

The Doña Ana County government will use some of the money it received under the federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act to provide "hazard pay" to crucial county employees. The County Commission approved $320,000 of CARES Act funding for the hazard pay program at their Tuesday meeting. The county received $1.4 million in local government grant money and $3,039,750 for small business grants from a state allocation of the federal COVID-19 relief funding. The $320,000 will come out of the the local government grant allotment and will be paid to qualifying county employees until the end of the calendar year. County Manager Fernando Macias said the intent is to dole out the money over the remaining six pay periods of the year by building it into employees' paychecks. Up to $750 will be paid to employees "that perform hazardous duty or work involving physical hardship" during the pandemic over the remaining pay periods, according to the county resolution.
Las Cruces Sun-News

New Mexico firefighters head to California to help battle wildfires

More New Mexico firefighters are heading to California to help fight record-breaking wildfires. The task force has 20 crew members with four departments around the state sending firefighters. This is also the second time New Mexico has sent firefighters to help in California. California is currently battling 27 major wildfires where 26 people have died and more than 6,600 structures have burned.
KRQE-TV CBS 13 Albuquerque