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IT'S DEFINITELY
NOT FEELING A
LOT LIKE
DECEMBER..
WITH NEAR
RECORD HIGHS
AND ZERO
MOISTURE ON
TAP.. THE STATE IS
DRYING UP FAST..
CREWS ARE
SCRAMBLING TO
PREPARE FOR
WHAT COULD BE A
SECOND WILDFIRE
SEASON ..
BUT WHO'S DOING
THE WORK -- IS
SAVING YOU
MONEY.
NEWS 13'S CELINA
WESTERVELT IS IN
THE NEWSPLEX
WITH THE DETAILS.
CRYSTAL
THE WORK IS
TEDIOUS THE
TERRAIN IS
RUGGED AND
CLEARING OUT
AREAS THAT ARE
RIPE FOR FIRES IS
COSTLY..
BUT WHAT WOULD
TYPICALLY COST
THOUSANDS OF
TAX-DOLLARS TO
GET THE JOB
DONE...IS MUCH
MORE COST-
EFFICIENT WITH
THIS CREW.
SOUND OF CHAIN
SAW @17:01
THE WORK IS
TEDIOUS...BUT
FORESTRY
OFFICIALS SAY ITS
DESPERATELY
NEEDED..
AS THE STATE
ENTERS ANOTHER
DRY WINTER..
DEAD BRUSH CAN
BECOME FUEL FOR
WILDFIRES -- AND
THE STATE IS
WORKING HARD
AND FAST TO
MAKE PREVENT
THAT.
BUT -- IT ALL
COMES WITH A
COST..
A PRICETAG
THAT'S CUT
DRASTICALLY
WHEN THESE MEN
IN ORANGE ARE AT
WORK.
INMATE CREWS
COSTS 3-HUNDRED
DOLLARS A DAY...
A FRACTION OF
WHAT A PRIVATE
COMPANY WOULD
CHARGE..
DAN 6:26 they look at
things like what's the
ability to access the
area what's the terrain
like all those things
factor into costs so
you could be looking
at $1000 an acre 6:35
THIS GROUP OF
INMATES IS
CLEARING A
PATCH OF BOSQUE
IN PENA BLANA..
IT'S A QUARTER
OF A MILE
STRETCH IN
BETWEEN THE
SANTA DOMINGO
AND COCHITTI
PUEBLOS..
NAT RUSHING WATER
BECAUSE OF THE
DEVESTATING LOS
CONCHAS FIRE
LAST YEAR -- BOTH
PUEBLOS
FLOODED THIS
YEAR..
NOW STATE
FORESTRY IS
TRYING TO
PREVENT FUTURE
FLAMES ..
2:10 not just to protect
the trees the
vegetation and the
wildlife but also to
protect the folks that
live in and around
those areas 2:18
SEVERE AND
EVEN EXTREME
DROUGHT
CONDITIONS ARE
PRESENT
THROUGHOUT THE
STATE..
THE LAST TIME
ALBUQUERQUE
SAW ANY
SIGNIFICANT
RAINFALL --
AUGUST..
NATS of chain saw
16:47
WHICH MEANS
THIS BOSQUE IS
NOW A TINDER
BOX.
FROM THIS VIEW
OF THE RIO
GRANDE IN THE
DISTANCE.. YOU
CAN SEE JUST
HOW MUCH WORK
THERE IS TO DO..
THE INMATES SAY
THEY LIKE THE
JOB AND ARE
HAPPY TO
REFORM THE
OVERGROWN
BOSQUE.. WHILE
SAVING THE STATE
SOME GREEN.
THE INMATES ARE
ALL CERTIFIED
WILD LAND
FIREFIGHTERS..
THEY'RE ALSO
DISPATCHED
DURING FIRE
SEASON.. AND CAN
APPLY FOR JOBS
IN THE FIELD ONCE
THEY'VE FINISHED
THEIR SENTENCE.
BACK TO YOU...
OKAY CELINA
IT'S NOT JUST THE
BOSQUE THAT'S
BONE DRY ..
NEWS 13 HAS
ALSO REPORTED
WATER LEVELS AT
ELEPHANT BUTTE
ARE AT AN EIGHT
YEAR LOW..
THE LAKE IS ONLY
FIVE PERCENT
FULL.
WHILE WE ARE