• Tuesday will be a no burn day, Rio Rancho Fire and Rescue Battalion Chief Ryan Floersheim said.
  • Red Flag warning issued by National Weather Service.
  • Most of Sandoval County is in the middle of an extreme drought.

 

Fires northwest of Las Vegas continue to burn. (USDA Forest Service/Will Harris Photo)

A red flag warning will be issued for the city of Rio Rancho from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday.

A warning is issued when the relative humidity of 15 percent or less is combined with sustained surface winds, or frequent gusts, of 25 mph or more. Both conditions must occur simultaneously for at least three hours in a 12-hour period. 

Tuesday will be a no burn day, Rio Rancho Fire and Rescue Battalion Chief Ryan Floersheim said. 

The high on Monday is expected to be 80 degrees with winds ranging from 15-20 mph. Gusts will increase to speeds up to 35-40 mph on Tuesday with temps in the low to mid-80s. 

‘We’re definitely at the ready’

May is starting how April ended, dry. 

The city received .01 inches of rain for the month, on April 1 — 98 percent less than normal for the month which is .50 inches, according to the National Weather Service office in Albuquerque.  

It was also warmer than usual.

The average high in April was 75.8 degrees, three degrees higher than normal. The hottest day was 87 degrees on April 23. 

Most of Sandoval County is in the middle of an extreme drought, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor.

The parched conditions have been tough for Rio Rancho, Sandoval County and New Mexico. 

On Sunday afternoon, Sandoval County announced an evacuation order for people living near Valles Caldera.  

Across the state, firefighters have been busy, battling the Calf Canyon and Hermit’s Peak fires northwest of Las Vegas where many residents have had to evacuate.

As of 9 a.m. Monday, 120,653 acres have burned in those blazes, and only 20 percent has been contained, according to New Mexico Fire Information.

No one from Rio Rancho Fire and Rescue is currently deployed to any statewide fires.

“We’re definitely staying abreast of the situation that is happening across the state,” Floersheim said, adding that “we’re definitely at the ready.” 

To check on the City of Rio Rancho’s burn status, call 505-891-7268. 

For more information on the fires, visit https://nmfireinfo.com/.