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San Juan County fire chief warns of early, active wildland season; urges burn restrictions and firework review
Summary
Fire Chief David Vega told the commission the county faces a high wildfire risk this spring due to dry fuels and below‑normal precipitation forecasts, and he warned the board the county may need phased open‑burning restrictions and a May resolution on fireworks sales if conditions worsen.
San Juan County Fire Chief David Vega told the commission Feb. 4 that the county faces an elevated and possibly early wildland‑fire season, with drought indicators and weather outlooks showing below‑normal precipitation and above‑normal temperatures through spring.
Vega outlined historical local incidents to illustrate risk and resource limits. He reviewed large local wildland‑urban interface fires in the county, including a 2012 fire on County Road 4901 that burned roughly 352 acres and destroyed primary residences and outbuildings; other more recent incidents consumed vehicles and outbuildings and required multiple days and tens of thousands of gallons of water to suppress.
The chief described operational constraints that make San Juan County vulnerable: limited hydrant infrastructure outside municipalities, steep distances to usable hydrants, sandy unimproved roads that slow apparatus, and an overall regional shortfall in manpower and water for sustained suppression. He said county water tenders typically carry 1,500–2,000 gallons and that major fires have required 30,000–40,000 gallons in total suppression water.
Vega also explained the wildland‑urban interface challenge along river bosques (riparian corridors) such as the Animas and San Juan rivers, where dense invasive vegetation like Russian olive and saltcedar produces volatile fire behavior that can quickly spread into nearby homes. “When a fire gets established in that vegetation, it’s almost impossible to go direct on it,” he said, describing 40–50 foot flame behavior in some cases.
The fire chief presented predictive services and drought monitoring maps and said San Juan County was “abnormally dry” with forecasts showing worsening conditions through May. Vega said federal and state aircraft resources can be useful but take time to order and mobilize; Durango and Cortez frequently host tanker and helicopter resources used regionally.
Vega asked the commission to be prepared to consider administrative steps if weather trends continue: he said staff may open discussions about implementing area open‑burning restrictions within weeks and flagged May as the month to consider a resolution limiting sale of certain types of fireworks. Under New Mexico law the county may not ban all fireworks sales but can adopt a resolution to restrict certain classes of fireworks, and the statute requires the county publish a resolution 30 days before sales begin (sales start statewide June 18). The chief recommended the commission consider publication of any restrictions in May if the dry trend persists.
Commissioners asked technical questions about water-tender capacity and regional aircraft availability; Vega and his deputy described multiagency mutual-aid relationships with Bureau of Land Management, Bureau of Indian Affairs, U.S. Forest Service and neighboring Colorado departments. He recommended continued regional coordination and public outreach to encourage landowners to clear ditches and reduce hazardous fuels.
The commission did not take action on Vega’s briefing; his remarks were an informational update with near‑term operational implications for county‑level burn restrictions and fireworks policy.
