Diego Lopez, Editor
CIBOLA COUNTY – As drought conditions intensify across Cibola County, local fire departments are reinforcing their preparedness efforts to mitigate wildfire risks and protect communities.
With 50 mile per hour winds gusting outside the Coyote Del Malpais Golf Course at the recent Coffee with the Managers event on March 6, fire officials from Milan, Grants, and Cibola County, along with Village of Milan Manager Candi Williams and City of Grants Manager Andrew Valencia, outlined their strategies and challenges in the face of worsening drought conditions.
Across Cibola County, there are 60 fire stations. Of these stations, only two have paid staff, leaving the rest of the county protected by volunteers.
Cibola Fire Marshall Dustin Middleton, Milan Fire Chief Daniel Urioste, and Grants Fire and Rescue Chief Mike Maes spoke to the people of Cibola County to help them understand the current fire danger situation.
Unified Response and Interagency Cooperation
Considering the significant service- area local fire departments must cover, Milan Fire Chief Urioste emphasized the importance of interagency cooperation, noting that fire departments from Milan, Grants, and the county regularly assist one another.
“We all just pretty much overlap and help each other out,” Urioste said. “In wildland or fire preparedness, we always have a plan—whether it’s a ver- bal plan or something communicated within the agencies.”
The departments are focused on the Wildland Urban Interface (WUI), areas where human habitation meets undeveloped land. These regions are particularly vulnerable to wildfires.
Fire Chief Urioste said, “When a wildfire starts and begins advancing toward town, our number one priority is protecting lives. Second, we do everything we can to protect property, and then we work to preserve the environment.”
Middleton explained that in the event of a fire spreading and causing danger to the community, a Ready, Set, Go! Program exists, which educates residents about fire safety. “We try to push this program into schools and municipal buildings,” Middleton said. “It teaches residents how to create defensible space around their homes, from clearing dead vegetation to storing firewood safely.”
In the event of a fire that threatens life and property, the three step Ready, Set, Go! Program is designed to help get residents out quickly and safely. Always be at Ready, where you have important documents and items in a position ready to grab and go. If the fire danger moves to Set, grab your items and start to evacuate. If the fire danger reaches the level of Go!, evacuate immediately.
Drought Conditions and Increased Fire Risks
The urgency of fire preparedness is underscored by the worsening drought conditions in Cibola County. According to the latest drought data, 100 percent of the county is experiencing drought, with 73.79 percent classified as being in Severe Drought (D2).
Historical data reveals that wildfires have been a persistent issue during severe drought periods.
The Cerro Bandera Fire in 2022 burned nearly 1,000 acres in the Zuni Mountains, exacerbated by extreme drought conditions. More recently, the Encerrita Fire in June 2024, sparked by lightning, burned approximately 2,496 acres near El Malpais National Monument; the Ready, Set, Go! Program was utilized to evacuate residents in danger.
Grants Fire and Rescue Chief Mike Maes stressed the need for proactive measures. “We need to educate our residents on how fast these conditions can change. Even after rain, the moisture dries out within hours, and fire risk returns just as high as before.”
Challenges in Staffing and Resources
A significant challenge facing Cibola County fire departments is a shortage of volunteers and funding.
Cibola County Fire Marshal Middleton said that only two of the fire stations in Cibola have paid staff, GFR and MFD, but even MFD only has two paid employees and still relies heavily on volunteers. “We actually have about 60 fire stations across the county, including volunteer and staffed departments,” Middleton explained.
Keeping these 60 departments staffed is no easy thing, and as the pool of firefighters ages, there are less and less young people stepping up to support their communities. “Volunteerism is at an all-time low across the nation,” Middleton said. “These individuals have jobs and families, yet they still answer calls at all hours.”
All three of the local fire officials started as volunteers in Cibola, and even Grants Manager Valencia is a former fire fighter.
Middleton explained the concerns about staffing shortages, particularly in rural areas. “When a fire call comes in from places like Fence Lake or Bluewater, response time is a major issue. We have a coordinated plan to dispatch multiple departments, but getting enough personnel remains difficult.”
The financial strain on fire departments is another hurdle.
Milan Fire Chief Urioste detailed how fire protection funds are allocated, stating that a large portion is spent on maintaining and replacing fire hydrants. “We inspect every hydrant yearly, and if one fails, we have to use funds that could have gone toward equipment or staffing,” he explained.
Fire hydrants play a crucial role in firefighting, with their color-coded tops indicating the available water flow rate in gallons per minute (GPM).
According to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), and Milan Fire Chief Urioste, hydrants are categorized as follows: blue (1,500 GPM or more, the highest flow rate), green (1,000 to 1,400 GPM), orange (500 to 999 GPM), red (499 GPM or less), and black (399 GPM or less, often indicating a hydrant with low or unreliable water flow). This system helps firefighters quickly assess the water supply during emergencies, ensuring an efficient and effective response. Hydrants with lower flow rates (red and black) may require additional resources, such as water tenders, to supplement fire suppression efforts.
Middleton explained that each department is responsible for inspecting and testing hydrants annually, with repairs handled by local utility teams when issues arise. While blue and green hydrants provide optimal water pressure for firefighting, hydrants with lower classifications require strategic planning to compensate for limited water availability.
Volunteers to support Cibola’s fire fighting service are appreciated, email the Cibola Fire Marshal at dustin.middleton@co.cibola.nm.us
Emergency Notification Systems and Community Involvement
To improve public awareness, Cibola County has transitioned to the Hyper-Reach emergency notification system. Fire officials encouraged residents to sign up for alerts.
“We used to rely on Code Red, but the response rate was under five percent,” Middleton said. “With Hyper-Reach, we can send immediate emergency notifications, including evacuation orders.”
Additionally, the Red Cross plays a vital role in disaster relief. “If a structure fire displaces a family, the Red Cross steps in to provide temporary shelter and resources,” Urioste noted. “But there’s only one Red Cross representative for the entire county, and she’s stretched thin.”
Residents at the event called for increased public meetings with agencies like the U.S. Forest Service to keep the community informed. “We need to know more than just when to evacuate—we need updates on the health of our forests and funding for fire prevention,” one attendee suggested. Fire officials agreed that more outreach and transparency are needed.
Despite challenges, local fire departments remain committed to protecting Cibola County.
Valencia closed the discussion with a call to action: “Fire preparedness is a community effort. We need volunteers, we need funding, and most importantly, we need residents to take their role in fire prevention seriously.”
With the drought worsening and fire season looming, preparedness efforts will be crucial in safeguarding Cibola County’s homes, land, and people.
“Don’t be deceived by occasional rainfall,” Milan Manager Williams said, “Cibola is still in a drought.”