Senate committee unanimously advances bill to establish wildfire prepared program 

Senate committee unanimously advances bill to establish wildfire prepared program

A new plan to make sure your home is still standing after the next wildfire disaster is officially moving forward.

SANTA FE, N.M. – A new plan to make sure your home is still standing after the next wildfire disaster is officially moving forward.

There’s no denying wildfires are becoming more destructive in New Mexico. The utter devastation in Ruidoso last summer speaks for itself, but state leaders know there are ways to prevent that destruction.

A legislative report says 46% of homes and buildings in New Mexico are located in direct wildfire exposure areas, and experts say simple fire mitigation efforts can keep them safe when the next disaster strikes. 

That’s why there’s a bipartisan push to establish a new wildfire prepared program inside the State Forestry Division.

The goal is to coordinate those mitigation efforts with local governments to make sure homeowners know to clear all the vegetation and brush within five feet of their homes, and provide resources if they need help doing that.

“In order for home hardening to really have a significant effect, it needs to happen at a scale of about 80% of the neighborhood. And we need local government to help organize communities and neighborhoods and to do the home assessments, but they won’t be able to do that without some financial support,” said New Mexico State Forester Laura McCarthy.

The Senate Conversation Committee unanimously approved the $20 million proposal Tuesday morning, which is expected to also help lower wildfire insurance costs in New Mexico – another issue state lawmakers are keen on addressing this year.

“The insurance industry has been part of our conversations all along, and what they have said to us consistently is that if New Mexico gets an effective wildfire mitigation program in place, which is exactly what Senate Bill 33 is, then they will do their part as well,” said McCarthy. 

Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham suggested the state establish its own wildfire insurance program, but her office confirmed there’s no proposal for that just yet.

Track SB 33 during the legislative session.