pray for new mexico

on sunday afternoon i stepped outside to check on the smoke that had been billowing up each afternoon at the pacheco canyon fire a few miles north of santa fe. i noticed that the smoke was worse than ever filling up the entire horizon and looked west to the jemez mountains and saw a HUGE mountain of smoke pouring off the mountains. my first thoughts were bandalier national monument, valle caldera preserve, the white rock goat farm, and worst of all Los Alamos Nuclear Lab (LANL).

the video below is pretty much what we were all horrified to see. we had to close up the house immediately, but we were suffocating by nightfall in the heat so i stepped onto the porch again to smell for smoke and see about opening windows. i was shocked to see bright red flames burning for miles 60 freaking miles away over miles of mountain range. never seen a thing like it and this video has it all in timelapse. 6,000 to 43,000 acres burned overnight:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mju9oYwI36c

the entire town of Los Alamos evacuated safely yesterday:


and here is an article on what we've all been worried about. comforting? hmm... not to me!

Los Alamos nuclear lab tamping down nuclear fire fears

national guard is on board, but it seems we need more help!!! any advocacy/pressure on powers that be (i.e., senators, president-- this is the national nuke lab folks so you may want to pay attention) you can do on behalf of this critical area 35 miles from santa fe will be appreciated. let's not let them continue to downplay it! help!