THERE HAVE BEEN FEWER WILD FIRES THAN NORMAL SO FAR THIS YEAR IN NEW MEXICO. THE STATE FORESTRY DIVISION'S DAN WARE SAYS IT'S BEEN THE MILDEST SEASON IN A DECADE OR MORE. HE SAYS THEY LOOKED BACK TO 2003 TO CHECK THE NUMBER OF FIRES AND ACREAGE BURNED AND FOUND 2014 TO BE ONE OF THE SLOWEST YEARS THEY'VE HAD SINCE THEN.
WARE SAYS THE WEATHER HAS PLAYED A KEY ROLE IN REDUCING THE NUMBER OF FIRES THIS YEAR. WHILE THE NUMBERS ARE DOWN, THERE HAVE STILL BEEN ABOUT 300 WILDFIRES ON STATE AND PRIVATE LAND, BURNING MORE THAN 10-THOUSAND ACRES.
