Fire fears expand closings, patrols

ALBUQUERQUE (KRQE) - Dry brush, river flow down 70 percent and high winds and high winds are the perfect combination for another fire along the Rio Grande bosque.

Albuquerque police are trying to keep that from happening.

City Open Space officers regularly patrol the bosque looking for everything from graffiti to homeless people who may start illegal fires.

On Saturday police and firefighters as well as 100 volunteers will be cleaning up the area and clearing brush to try and keep it as safe as possible during this very dry and windy fire season.

Meanwhile additional closures and restrictions related to extreme fire danger have been announced:

• Beginning Friday the Santa Fe National Forest will enter Stage 1 fire restrictions. Restrictions will not apply to the Chama River Canyon Wilderness, Dome Wilderness, Pecos Wilderness and San Pedro Parks Wilderness. Additional information is available on the Santa Fe National Forest website.
   
• New Mexico State Park officials will close Manzano Mountains State Park on Friday at 2 p.m.
   
• Elephant Butte Lake State Park is gearing up for its annual Memorial Day mob and plans a Fly Freedom Flag Boat Parade honoring military personnel at 10 a.m. May 28.  However, due to low water levels, both the Monticello and Dam Site boat ramps are closed.
   
• The Forest Service already has closed the Lincoln National Fores t, scene of several devastating fires this season.
   
• The Cibola National Forest Mountainair Ranger District has closed the Manzano and Gallinas Mountains to public access.
   
• The Gila National Forest is under fire restrictions. State Road 15 and access to the Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument remain closed as firefighters work the 75,000-acre Miller Fire.
   
• The Bureau of Land Management has imposed fire restrictions on its lands in Bernalillo, Catron, Cibola, McKinley, Sandoval, Socorro and Valencia counties.
   
• The National Park Service has banned open fires at El Malpais and El Morro national monuments.  Self-contained gas grilles and stoves may be used.  Smoking is prohibited outside private vehicles, and the use or possession for fireworks and other pyrotechnics is prohibited.

The current status of active wildfires and more information on closures can be found on the New Mexico Fire Information website.