Becoming 'FireWise': New Tech, Volunteer Efforts, Grants, and Community Initiatives
Did you miss last night's community FireWise gathering? Catch up with these main takeaways.
The Village of Cloudcroft hosted a FireWise Community meeting at the Lodge Pavilion last night, Tuesday, April 29th, where Mayor Tim King, Trustees McCoy and Foster, Cloudcroft and Timberon VFD Chiefs Erich Wuersching and Tony McWilliams, Insurance agent Ashley Dalton, Capitan District Forester Nick Smokovich, Keep Cloudcroft Clean President Alex George, and NM Senator Jim Townsend addressed the crowd.
Firewise is a national and community-wide program focused on wildfire preparedness and actionable steps.
Why does it matter for Cloudcroft?
It helps mitigate fire risk. It helps all property owners with insurance companies. And, it helps the village deal with unsightly lots.
Becoming FireWise: A Community Goal
Achieving Firewise status requires communities to demonstrate ongoing investment—time, money, education, and demonstrable action—in mitigation efforts. This commitment, once officially authorized by the National Fire Protection Association, serves as “leverage for applying for various grants,” according to Chief Wuersching.
The program involves both individual property actions and collective community initiatives. Wuersching announced that the village has recently completed the initial application process, meeting all criteria, and is awaiting final authorization. Maintaining this status requires an estimated annual investment of about $41,000, which can be met through actual money spent or credited volunteer hours.
What is the number one way to protect your home?
According to Chief McWilliams, the number one way to protect your home is through home hardening, which involves using fire-resistant materials and flashing on siding, decks, roofs, and vents and creating defensible space around it, particularly addressing vulnerabilities to ember ignition.
What programs does the village have in place?
The village is implementing the FireWise program, utilizing a GIS dashboard/app for tracking volunteers and property work, coordinating cleanup events, and administering the Non-Federal Lands grant for mitigation.
The village has successfully obtained an NFL (Non-Federal Lands) Grant providing $300,000 for fuel reduction on eligible private properties and village land. This NFL grant covers contractor costs for approved properties, requiring no out-of-pocket expense for homeowners.
The grant is officially administered through Otero Soil and Water Conservation District Manager Victoria Milne in coordination with Laura Doth, the Executive Director for the South Central Mountain Resource Conservation & Development Council.
Grant administrators aren’t unified on whether the grant will be administered on a “first-come, first-served” basis or priority by location and clusters of applicants, according to Chief McWilliams, who will be the forester assigned to inspecting eligible properties.
Chief Wuersching said interest in the NFL grant has already exceeded available funds, based on the overwhelming number of applicants. He hopes that the continued applications will demonstrate a need for more funding when seeking more grants.
If you would like to apply, email ewuersching@cloudcroftfd.com.
The village has provided dumpsters at key locations throughout Cloudcroft through the month of May for citizens to dump their slash, paid for by a $15,000 New Mexico Clean and Beautiful grant. While these dumpsters are also for trash, please stay animal and bear-aware when tossing regular garbage. Use bins with lids. Each dumpster will have a sign listing prohibited materials, such as concrete.
The Otero County Slash Pit, located near the junction of Highways 244 and 82, is now open, where residents may dump yard waste, brush, and tree trimmings.
Other Takeaways
Community engagement is vital for achieving Firewise status and securing insurance coverage for property owners.
Wildfire risk makes it challenging to acquire or maintain insurance in high-risk areas. According to agent Dalton, insurance risk assessment involves analyzing wildfire maps, fire line ratings, client claim history, and property characteristics.
Protecting homes primarily involves hardening structures and creating defensible space against embers.
Technology and faster data reporting through satellite imaging and AI models are enhancing preparedness in fire management efforts. Watch this Google FireSat story for more.
Volunteer hours are valuable contributions towards the community's required annual Firewise investment. Mayor King plans to create a portal through the village website where volunteers can log their work hours digitally. To sign up to volunteer for village-wide clean-up (raking pine litter, “limbing up” trees, and more) or to sign up for your property's clean-up, sign up through the village website.
Discover More Wildfire Preparedness Resources
For additional guidance, visit:
The New Mexico Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management
NMSU Wildfire Resources for New Mexico
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