LOCAL COLUMN
OPINION: Wildfire season is here. We're ready, are you?
This spring, Bernalillo County finds itself on the front edge of a dangerous new reality. March 2026 was the warmest on record in more than 130 years. The snowpack that typically lingers into late spring, providing critical moisture to our landscapes, has already vanished. In its place: dry vegetation, brittle fuels and conditions primed for wildfire.
This isn鈥檛 just an early start to fire season. It鈥檚 a fundamental shift.
Layered on top of ongoing drought, these changes are accelerating wildfire risk and stretching it across a longer, less predictable window. What used to be a defined season is becoming a year-round concern. And the consequences are already visible.
In just the first three months of this year, Bernalillo County has experienced nearly twice as many days with conditions that support fire growth. Dry air, above-average temperatures, gusty winds and persistently low humidity are combining in ways that make it easier for fires to ignite, and harder to contain them once they do.
Our fire crews are seeing it firsthand. Across the South Valley and other parts of the county, vegetation fires are increasing. These are not isolated incidents. They are early warning signs of what鈥檚 ahead.
Too often, people assume that if there isn鈥檛 an official warning, there isn鈥檛 a real threat. That鈥檚 a mistake. While the National Weather Service issues Red Flag Warnings when conditions are especially severe, many significant fires begin on days that fall just short of those criteria. Dry fuels and shifting winds don鈥檛 wait for formal declarations.
As public servants, our responsibility is clear: to protect this community. Bernalillo County Fire and Rescue has increased staffing on high-risk days, strengthened coordination with partner agencies and expanded early detection capabilities. Our teams monitor fire weather conditions every day, using all available tools to detect fires early and respond quickly. We are ready to meet this moment, but we cannot do it alone.
Public safety is a shared responsibility, and preparedness cannot rest solely on first responders.
This spring, Bernalillo County is launching a fire safety campaign focused on practical, life-saving steps residents can take now. These include clearing dry vegetation from around homes, staying informed about local fire conditions, knowing evacuation routes and creating emergency plans for families and pets. Even something as simple as reporting smoke immediately, no matter how small or uncertain it seems, can make a critical difference.
Preparedness is not about panic. It鈥檚 about awareness and action.
Every step taken today reduces the risk tomorrow. Every yard cleared, every plan made, every alert neighbor contributes to a safer community. These actions not only protect homes and lives, they also support the firefighters who put themselves on the line and help preserve the landscapes that define Bernalillo County.
This is our home. And the challenges ahead will require all of us; residents, responders, and community leaders alike, to work together with urgency and purpose.
Wildfire season is no longer something on the horizon. It鈥檚 here.
The question is whether we will meet it prepared together.
Zach Lardy is the fire chief for Bernalillo County. Tom Walmsley Jr. is Bernalillo County's emergency manager.
