Nearly 100 people from across New Mexico gathered in at the UNM-Valencia campus for the 2025 Wildland Urban Fire Summit, Sept. 30-Oct. 2. They had a tour of the Rio Grande Bosque in Los Lunas that was hit by two wildfires in June that burned more than a dozen homes; firefighters, the bosque manager and others provided context for the mitigation and post-fire work happening in the bosque. Attendees also heard presentations and asked questions of expert panels that included electrical utility representatives, insurance agents, fire managers, and State Forester Laura McCarthy. Those at the conference represented homeowners, fire department staff, and community leaders working to reduce wildfire risks in their neighborhoods.
Some panels had to be changed due to the federal government shutdown, which took place the second day of the conference and meant some federal partners had to leave the summit.
This year’s theme for the summit was Building Community Connections and Empowerment. The annual summit is hosted by the New Mexico Association of Counties. The planning committee included New Mexico Association of Counties, Bureau of Land Management, NM Forestry Division, Forest Stewards Guild, and the New Mexico Forest and Watershed Restoration Institute at Highlands University.
