Eyes on the prize: Mimbres Hand Crew goes for hotshot status
Plus: Smoke safety, wildland-urban interface projects, Fire-Adapted Communities and more
NMFD Newsletter | June 5, 2026
News from New Mexico's Forests
Hotshots, homegrown.
Our state-led fire crews, Mimbres and Pecos River, have worked for years on wildfire assignments to build experience, qualifications and strong culture, all with an impressive goal: training for hotshot status. This year, Mimbres is officially beginning the process to get qualified.
Check out the story behind our state-led fire crews, from their first 50-acre fire to the recent 29,000-acre Seven Cabins Fire. Plus: smoke safety , treatment project updates from around the state, and our partner spotlight on Fire Adapted Communities New Mexico .
We're in the middle of what is typically peak wildfire season in New Mexico . We urge everyone to take this risk seriously. We're in statewide fire restrictions , and the governor recently declared statewide drought and severe fire conditions. Even though predictions call for an on-time monsoon, we're not quite out of the woods yet. So be cautious and be careful outside with activities that can cause sparks. (We know you will!)
And don't forget — if you're enjoying this newsletter, pass it on to a friend:
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From the Field
Eyes on the prize. For two years, Mimbres Hand Crew has worked to build skill and cohesion to tackle wildfires like a well-oiled machine. Now, they're ready for a new challenge: hotshot status.
Hotshots are the cream of the crop in wildland firefighting, a notoriously demanding line of work. They take on assignments where everything is more intense, from fire behavior to the duration of the assignment.
More impressive still: Mimbres would become just the fourth state-led crew among the 115 interagency hotshot crews in the U.S. "Very few people have done that and succeeded," assistant superintendent Chase Smith said.
Read the story
Hot Tip: Living with smoke
Credit: Cedar Attanasio/AP.
We all know how unpleasant it is when campfire smoke blows your way. Your eyes burn, it stings to breathe, and eventually you're forced to just clear out. This experience is a natural primer for a public health concern of wildfire season: smoke.
Wildfire smoke is made up of lots of different components, including gases, hazardous air pollutants, water vapor and particulate matter. Your main concern is particulate matter. These microscopic airborne particles are made of everything that burns during a wildfire: trees and grasses, soil, dust, mold, metals, and even materials in the built environment.
Wildfire smoke can affect your health, and if you work outdoors, are a child or over 65, are pregnant, or have underlying respiratory or heart issues, you may be particularly at risk.
How do I stay safe?
Monitor your air quality: Check out air quality in your area .
Follow the 5-3-1 visibility method to determine if it's safe to go outside.
Use an air filter if air quality is not good. Don't have one? You can DIY .
Find a safe place in your community with clean air. During wildfires, evacuation centers often have air purifiers.
Wear a mask , like an N95 or K95, which keep particulates out. Cloth won't work.
Smoke Ready Toolbox
In the Community
Seedlings for Reforestation
The Division is re-energizing our Conservation Seedling Program to better meet the state’s urgent reforestation needs.
Starting this fall, species needed most for reforestation will shift to a more targeted Seedlings for Reforestation program that comes complete with seed-to-site matching, technical training, and long-term monitoring.
Learn more about the changes and order your seedlings.
???? Ruidoso Downs
In Lincoln County, wildfire mitigation work is zooming along ahead of schedule, having treated over 420 acres since mid-October.
The Lincoln County Wildland-Urban Interface Buffers project aims to create a 1,250-acre barrier to insulate Ruidoso and Ruidoso Downs from wildfire.
The Lincoln National Forest has also started re-treating existing fuel breaks on the national forest side of the buffer to strengthen its effect even further.
This critical buffer will be a significant move in wildfire protection for the area.
???? Shiprock
Riparian invasive treatments were completed recently along the San Juan River corridor to clear non-native species—and pesky resprouts—while helping to stabilize soil spreading native grass seed and planting cottonwoods and willows.
The San Juan Soil and Water Conservation District's Three Rivers Restoration project has worked along the San Juan, Animas, and La Plata River corridors over three years providing mastication and herbicide applications.
Congrats to the team on a job well done!
???? Silver City
Work continues on the Silver City High-Risk Fireshed project, where land managers aim to create a contiguous buffer along the wildland-urban interface to shield the town from wildfire.
In the last four years, 220 acres have been treated. Over the next 10 years, another 1,000 acres are planned.
Fire is a natural occurrence, but by building buffers, we can continue to protect our communities.
Credit: Wendy Brown.
???? Capitan
Local officials, firefighters and the public gathered at Smokey Bear Historical Park to honor fallen wildland firefighters in New Mexico this Memorial Day.
Held at the park's Fallen Wildland Firefighter Memorial , over 50 people attended this annual tradition of remembrance for wildland firefighters who have lost their lives in the line of duty.
Lea County Sheriff’s Office Honor Guard, along with the New Mexico Fire and Police Pipes and Drums, presented the colors. Speakers included representatives from the Division and the Lincoln National Forest, the Mayors of Capitan and Ruidoso, and Joe Kasuboski, former chief of Ruidoso Fire Department.
Partner Spotlight: Fire Adapted New Mexico Learning Network (FACNM)
The Fire Adapted New Mexico Learning Network (FACNM) is grassroots, member-driven initiative dedicated…