As Northern New Mexico becomes drier, grappling with the possibility of a catastrophic fire requires an evolving approach.

For some areas in the region, “it’s not a matter of if, but when” a wildfire breaks out, a National Weather Service meteorologist said during a town hall on wildfire preparedness and prevention Wednesday.

Albuquerque-based meteorologist Scott Overpeck noted the agency tracks weather from Santa Fe Regional Airport, where the 30-year average annual precipitation dropped by almost 3 inches from 2010 to 2020.

“We’re going more or less longer periods of time without precipitation events,” Overpeck said. “That means that trees, brush, all that is dried out. … You get really strong winds and really dry air, you get a spark — and you get a fire.”

The risk is increasing par

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