By Rodd Cayton, The Paper.
A recent presentation about a theoretical wildfire threatening Placitas was a success, according to leaders of the host organization.
District Ranger Ken Born of the U.S. Forest Service visited the community earlier this month, using the agency’s FSPro program to demonstrate how a blaze might behave under a pair of differing scenarios. He came at the request of Placitas Resilience & Emergency Preparedness Alliance (PREP), a group dedicated to ensuring residents know what to do in an emergency.
Board member Jay Rodman said about 60 people attended the presentation in person, with another 40 joining via Zoom. PREP President Allen Saville said the numbers are only part of the success story, as the sign-in sheet indicates new community members attended, meaning the group’s message is reaching more people. “We’re definitely accomplishing our objective of outreach to residents of Placitas,” Saville said, noting it was PREP’s first event to draw more than 100.
The FSPro (Fire Spread Probability) software Born used can map out community-specific threat grids, based on data that include local topography, real-time “dry fuel” volume and historical regional weather patterns. Born cautioned that the computer modeling was not a forecast, but an attempt to show realistic possibilities for the community. The scenarios he presented assumed hot and dry conditions and “calm” and “windy” weather, with wind speeds of 2 to 3 mph and around 12 mph, respectively. Saville said he would like to have seen a simulation with faster winds — 60 mph is not altogether unheard of for Placitas — but the software demonstrated that a wildfire can spread quickly in the steep canyons surrounding Placitas.
He said Born’s demonstration fits well with the organization’s focus on preparedness. “Their awareness has been raised,” Saville said. “What we’re hoping is that they’re thinking ‘we’d better prepare.’” The NEXT PREP seminar is set for 7 p.m. July 14 at Las Placitas Presbyterian Church, 7 Paseo De San Antonio Road. The topic is sheltering in place.