Could the bosque close because of fire danger?
Hide Transcript Show Transcript  KEEP THE BOSQUE FROM BURNING. STEPHAE: RUNNING, BIKINGND A WALKING IS PART OF A LOT OF PEOPLES ROUTINE IN THE BOSEQU WHAT PEOPLE DO NOT KNOW IS IF FIRE DANGER TSGE CLOSE ENOUGH, -- NEW MICEX FIREFIGHTERS HAVE THOUSANDS OF CALLS EVERY YEAR. GETTING BOSQUE FIRES IS BECOMING TRA END. IF IT WERT N'FOR HELP FROM OTHER DEPARTMENTS, ALBUQUERQUE FIRE RESCUE WOULD NEED A LOT MORE STAFF. >> WE ARE ONE OF THE BUSIEST DEPARTMENTS IN THE NATIORIN GHT NOW. YOU TAKE AWAYHO T SOURCES, ESPECIALLY ON THESE WILDFIRE INCIDENTS, ANDT I WOULD PUT A HUGE STRAIN UPON US. STEPHANIE: ALTHOUGH THERE VEHA BEEN MANY FIRES THE BOSQUE WOULD , CLOSING ONLY HAPPEN DURING STAGE THREE RESTRICTIONS.ING >> USUALLY, THAT WOULD BE BECAUSE OF EXTREME FIRE CONDITIONS A AND INCREASE IN FIRE STARTS. STEPHANIE: CLOSING THE BOSQUE IS NOT SOMETHING AFR WANTS EYTH SAY MOST PEOPLE WALKING OR BIKING ARENT THE ONES STARTING THE FIRES. >> BECAUSE PEOPLARE THERE, AND THEY ARE TRAVELING, BICYCLING, HIKING, THEY ARE ENJOYING THE BOSQUE. THEY ARE THE REANS FIRES HAVE NOT GOTTEN HUGE. STEPHANIE: DOWN SOUTH THE , VALEIANC COUNTY REFI DEPARTMENT HAS BATTLED TWO BOSQUE FIRES WITHIN A TWO WEEK PERIOD. >> THEY ARE DRAINING OUR TAX DOARLL RESOURCES, PUTS FIREFIGHTERS IN DANGER, AS WELL AS THE PUBLIC. IT IS NOT WORTH IT. STEPHANIE: RIGHT NOW, THERE ARE STAGE TWO FIREES RTRICTIONS, MEANING NO OPEN FLAMES, NO SMOKING, NO FIREWORKS IN THIS AREA. Share Copy Link Copy  In the past two weeks, there have been multiple bosque fires from Northeast Albuquerque all the way down South of Belen. Firefighters say not right now. Running, biking and walking in the bosque is part of a lot of people's daily routines when it comes to bosque closures that would only happen during Stage 3 restrictions. Albuquerque Fire Rescue Wildland Coordinator, Joseph Kandel said That would be a full or partial closure and usually that would be, because of extreme fire conditions, fire weather conditions and an increase in fire starts or ignitions.Closing the bosque is not something AFR wants.AFR firefighters have thousands of calls every year, if it weren't for help from other departments, they wouldnt be able to respond to the most common calls they get. Medical calls. We're one of the busiest departments in the nation right now. You take away those mutual aid resources, especially on these wildfire incidents. It would put a huge strain upon us, Kandel said. According to AFR most of the people that actually use the bosque arent the people starting fires. Instead, they are the eyes and ears of the department. Because of the people that are there and they are traveling through, they are biking, they are hiking. They are enjoying the bosque. They're the reason our fires have not gotten huge, Kandel said. In Valencia County, they had a bosque closure around 10 years ago. Valencia County Fire Department Wildland Capt. Rob Varr said a closure isnt something they could enforce. Varr said, If we commit resources in the Bosque where they are way out, the response time, then it affects our 911 response. Within a two-week period, Valencia County has had two separate bosque fires. The cause of the cemetery fire is still under investigation. Meanwhile, the Ditto Fire was human-caused. Gonzales is asking people not to light fires and use caution with fireworks.Gonzales said They are draining our tax dollars on our resources. They put firefighters themselves in danger as well as the public. Like when their homes are threatened or things like that. It's just not worth it... It's not worth it. In Albuquerque, there are currently Stage 2 fire restrictions, which means no open flames, no smoking and no fireworks.