New Mexico
Albuquerque Fire Rescue participates in two-day cave rescue training
CIBOLA COUNTY, N.M. (KRQE) – New Mexico’s caves attract hundreds of explorers each year, but those adventures can lead to dangerous situations requiring emergency rescues, and local first responders are learning how to do them. The National Cave Rescue Commission held a two-day rescue course in the Malpais National Monument this past weekend. The instructor told KRQE News 13 that participants learned how to provide first aid in one of the most difficult environments.
“Cave rescues are particularly difficult because of the limited resources available in those environments. Caves themselves are often very large underground spaces with extended travel times, so you may not be able to get resources that you request for many hours,” said Sarah Truebe, Regional Coordinator for the National Cave Rescue Commission.
Albuquerque Fire and Rescue was one of the agencies participating in the two-day weekend training, alongside other emergency responders, volunteer search and rescue personnel, and members of New Mexico’s caving community. The training included first aid, communication skills, proper transportation of injured patients, and technical rescue. Instructor Sarah Truebe says aside from first aid, participants also learn to be mindful of the environment and how fragile the ecosystem is.
“It is very easy to get really mission-focused and to just go straight to that patient and not think a lot about the environment around you, but because these resources are so fragile and rare, we really want to take care of that resources as well, while we’re doing the rescue response,” said Truebe.
In all, 14 instructors hosted a group of 31 participants. Truebe said that between Arizona and New Mexico, there are usually one to two cave rescues a year, but said that last year they conducted six rescues. Truebe said their next training course will be held in October in central New Mexico. She said the date will be posted online once that training is scheduled.
VALENCIA COUNTY, N.M. — Multiple earthquakes sent tremors through communities just south of Albuquerque, the U.S. Geological Survey reported Sunday morning.
The USGS reported a 3.9-magnitude earthquake happened at 11:41 a.m., just three minutes after a 3.7-magnitude earthquake. They were both in the Jarales and Rio Communities area.
Two other earthquakes were reported on the other side of the Rio Grande: A 3.2-magnitude earthquake Saturday at 8:30 p.m. and a 2.6-magnitude earthquake Saturday at 11:51 p.m., near Abeytas.
There have been reports of no damage or injuries, according to the Valencia County Fire Department. The Department received reports of an earthquake in the Jarales and Rio Communities area.
New Mexico
Tree deaths in New Mexico tripled in 2025 as warming summers increases insects, stress on forests – New Mexico Political Report
Tree deaths tripled in New Mexico during the second warmest year on record, according to new analysis of the state’s forest health from the U.S. Forest Service and New Mexico Forestry Division.
last decade, 291,000 acres with spruce beetle-killed trees have been mapped in New Mexico.
2025 saw a rapid expansion of bark beetle-caused deaths with 209,000 acres of conifers now dead — up from 67,000 acres in 2024 — mostly on national forest land managed by the USFS. “Fall and winter temperatures remained warmer and drier, allowing bark beetles to remain active late in the season,” the report concluded. “Large areas of ponderosa and piñon forests saw significant mortality from bark beetles, especially in the southern part of the state. Areas near burn scars from large wildfires continue to experience bark beetle attack on residual trees.”
New Mexico’s forests under threat
Findings from 2025 statewide survey
—
Beetle-killed conifer forest increased 211%, mostly on national forest lands
Defoliation (distinct from mortality) decreased 51%
Total acreage with damage decreased 6%
Forests impacted by drought and heat increased 66%
If there is good news in the report, it is that a virus infecting some of the most common insects causing defoliation greatly reduced the number of acres showing a loss of leaf or needle coverings. Insect infestations of the western spruce budworm, Douglas-fir tussock moth, western tent caterpillar, needleminers and scale insects was down 51% from 327,000 acres in 2024 to 160,000 acres in 2025.
Still, the number of forest acres under threat increased 6% in just one year and the number of acres threatened by drought and temperature were up a whopping 66%, the report’s authors say.
Crystal Tischler, USFS.
“Our forests have exceeded the land’s carrying capacity,” said Victor Lucero, the state’s forest health manager. “No matter what, disturbance events will try to rebalance our ecosystems, whether it’s through human intervention, like proactive thinning, or biological events such as pest outbreaks or wildfire. We can manage disturbances to prevent catastrophic events like these in the future.”
Read more from the report here.
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