Bernalillo County and the city of Albuquerque have launched a cleanup effort in the bosque to reduce fire hazards, removing 4 tons of debris from homeless encampments and brush.

Efforts to Reduce Fire Risks

Bernalillo County Fire and Rescue provided a tour of one of the 31 sites cleared in recent days, where crews and equipment have been actively working. The cleanup targets homeless encampments in the bosque between Rio Bravo Boulevard and I-40, areas that are sometimes nearly a mile from main roads.

Officials highlighted the difficulty of responding to emergencies in these remote areas. “If there were to have an emergency down here, it would be very hard to locate them,” said Bryant Harris, the public information officer for the Bernalillo County Fire and Rescue.

Crews are also removing loose brush, which contributes to fire risks. “We have this huge green space that is very dry right now with our relative humidity and no rain,” said Harris. Displaced individuals from the encampments are being offered assistance and resources.

Original reporting: KOAT Albuquerque — read the source article.