Wildfire 2002 public meeting set for April 17 in Fuller Lodge

Contact: Fran Talley, flt@lanl.gov, (505) 667-5225 (02-029)

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LOS ALAMOS, N.M., April 11, 2002 -- As the current drought conditions continue in Northern New Mexico, the Interagency Wildfire Management Team and the Department of Energy's Los Alamos National Laboratory are sponsoring "Wildfire 2002," Wednesday, April 17 in Fuller Lodge in downtown Los Alamos.

The public meeting, which begins at 6 p.m., is the fourth in a series of annual public meetings to update citizens on current fire concerns, what home owners can do to help protect their property from wildland fire and mitigation efforts that are underway in Los Alamos County and the surrounding area. Fuller Lodge is located at 2132 Central Ave.

"This is shaping up to be a worse fire season than before the Cerro Grande Fire two years ago," warned Battalion Chief Mike Thompson of the Los Alamos Fire Department.

"The combination of warmer temperatures, low humidity, wind and the absence of moisture in forest fuels are responsible for the increased threat," explained Pat Valerio of Los Alamos' Ecology Group. "The woods are basically as dry as the lumber you buy at the store."

"Wildfire 2002" begins with exhibits and displays from the Laboratory, American Red Cross, Bandelier National Monument, Los Alamos County Community Development, Los Alamos County Emergency Management, Los Alamos Fire Department, the Volunteer Task Force, Family Strengths Network, Pajarito Plateau Watershed Partnership, the Nature Conservancy and the United States Forest Service.

Beginning at 7 p.m., a panel of experts from Los Alamos County, Santa Fe National Forest, Bandelier National Monument, the Volunteer Task Force and the Laboratory will discuss current fire conditions, the nearby Valle II project, local and regional mitigation efforts, and "Firewise," a national program designed to

lessen the probability of loss and to help citizens be better prepared to protect their homes and community in case of wildland fire.

Former Los Alamos County Councilor Robert Gibson will moderate the discussion and a public question and answer session.

For more information on the "Wildfire 2002" meeting, contact Fran Talley of the Laboratory's Public Affairs Office at 667-5225 or write to flt@lanl.gov by electronic mail.

Los Alamos National Laboratory is operated by the University of California for the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) of the U.S. Department of Energy and works in partnership with NNSA's Sandia and Lawrence Livermore national laboratories to support NNSA in its mission.

Los Alamos enhances global security by ensuring the safety and reliability of the U.S. nuclear weapons stockpile, developing technical solutions to reduce the threat of weapons of mass destruction and solving problems related to energy, environment, infrastructure, health and national security concerns..