Homes and rubble remain interspersed between trees burned in the South Fork fires on Aug. 20, 2024. The September forecast from the National Interagency Fire Center says wildfire risk in New Mexico will be normal through December. (Photo by Danielle Prokop / Source NM)
A new wildfire risk forecast says New Mexico and most of the Southwest will not have above-average wildfire risk through December, though global weather patterns still add some uncertainty.
The September outlook from the National Interagency Fire Center no longer predicts that northwest and central New Mexico will see above-normal wildfire risk through October, which would have meant a much later end to the wildfire season than is typical here. The wildfire season in New Mexico typically ends when monsoons arrive.
Early monsoon rains fell across much of the state in mid-June, which aided firefighters’ efforts to contain the most destructive wildfires in New Mexico this year. The South Fork and Salt fires in the Ruidoso area burned about 25,000 acres and destroyed more than 1,100 homes.