New Mexico
Evacuations underway in Timberon as Oakmont Fire grows to 100 acres
This is a developing story and will be updated as more information becomes available.
A wildfire erupted on Oakmont Road in Timberon Friday, May 3 forcing the evacuation of local neighborhoods as firefighters continue to attempt to contain the blaze.
The wildfire, dubbed the Oakmont Fire, was discovered at approximately 12:28 p.m., according to a report by the New Mexico Forestry Division.
Since then evacuations have been ordered in the area of Sacramento Drive and Paradise Valley Drive. Those evacuated are being provided shelter at Cloudcroft High School located at 10 Swallow place in Cloudcroft.
Otero County opened its fairgrounds at 401 Fairgrounds Road in Alamogordo for animals and livestock to be evacuated to. Circle Cross Ranch at 1282 Sacramento Drive is also accepting animals in need of evacuation.
Here’s what we know about the blaze.
Wildfire erupts in Sacramento Mountains
Timberon is within the Sacramento Mountains and within Otero County limits. There cause of the ignition is unknown.
The fire is burning pinon, juniper and pine fuels within a populated neighborhood.
As of 8:45 p.m. the Oakmont Fire has reached approximately 100 acres and is 0% contained, according to a news release.
The fire was reported to be exhibiting “torching behavior” meaning it has moved from the ground up to crowns of trees.
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Road to Timberon close as firefighters attempt to contain the blaze
“All roads in and out of Timberon are currently restricted with no estimated time of opening,” George Ducker, communications coordinator for the New Mexico Forestry Division, said in the release.
Officials have asked locals to refrain from calling 911 unless it is an emergency.
Firefighters are reportedly attempting to suppress the fire using air support, a tactic that officials said has proven effective in slowing the fire.
A Type three Incident Management Team has been ordered to take command. A Type three incident management team consists of 10 to 20 people in different areas of the fire handling major and complex incidents within the community.
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Otero County has released resources such as local fire department and law enforcement to help with efforts to contain the blaze expected to last until Saturday morning.
“Crews are responding from Forestry Division, the US Forest Service, Otero County, and local volunteer fire departments. These include large air tanker and helicopter support, and the Smokey Bear and Sacramento Hotshot Crews,” Ducker said.
There will be increased activity in the area as firefighters and equipment will be relocating as needed. Ultimately, full containment is not expected until Monday, May 6 as winds may pick up over the weekend.
“West/southwest wind 12-17 mph, decreasing to 6 to 11 miles per hour after midnight. Winds could gust as high as 24 mph. Tomorrow’s high near 73 degrees. North wind 7 to 16 mph becoming south in the morning. Gusts as high as 23 mph,” according to the news release.
The public can continue to follow updates on the fire at the New Mexico Forestry Division’s X account or Facebook page.
Juan Corral can be reached at JCorral@gannett.com or on twitter at @Juan36Corr.
New Mexico
Meta threatens to pull Facebook and Instagram from New Mexico over child safety trial requirements
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Tech giant Meta is threatening to cut off access to its social media platforms in New Mexico as a response to the state’s legal effort to compel changes to child safety protocols on the platform.
Meta and the state of New Mexico are expected to proceed to the second stage of their trial next week after a jury recently issued a $375 million award to the state after finding that the company misled consumers about the safety of its platforms and protections for children against sexual predators.
The next phase of the trial will concern what actions the parent company of Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp must take to address those issues.
Among the remedies New Mexico is seeking is to impose a requirement that Meta meet a 99% accuracy threshold in verifying that children on its platform are at least 13 years old. Meta has pushed back on that requirement, arguing in a court filing that it’s unfeasible and would require it to “comply with impossible obligations.”
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Meta is warning that it may be forced to pull its apps from New Mexico if the state prevails in requiring the social media giant to implement certain safeguards. (Arda Kucukkaya/Anadolu via Getty Images)
Meta’s legal team said in a filing that New Mexico’s “requests for relief are so broad and so burdensome, that if implemented it might force Meta to withdraw its apps entirely from the State of New Mexico as an alternative way of complying with the injunction.”
“It does not make economic or engineering sense for Meta to build separate apps just for New Mexico residents,” Meta’s lawyers added. “Nor could Meta guarantee the perfection the State demands, making it impractical for Meta to operate in New Mexico.”
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| Ticker | Security | Last | Change | Change % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| META | META PLATFORMS INC. | 611.91 | -57.21 | -8.55% |
The company has argued that it’s being unfairly singled out in comparison to other social media platforms that are popular with young people. It also previously signaled it will appeal the $375 million civil judgment against it.
New Mexico pushed back on Meta’s assertion that it would be impractical to comply with the safeguards it’s seeking for social media apps.
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Meta is the parent company of apps including Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp. (Reuters/Dado Ruvic/Illustration)
“Meta is showing the world how little it cares about child safety,” said New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez. “Meta’s refusal to follow the laws that protect our kids tells you everything you need to know about this company and the character of its leaders.”
“We know Meta has the ability to make these changes. For years the company has rewritten its own rules, redesigned its products, and even bent to the demands of dictators to preserve market access. This is not about technological capability. Meta simply refuses to place the safety of children ahead of engagement, advertising revenue, and profit,” Torrez added.
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New Mexico is also seeking that Meta implement safer recommendation algorithms that don’t prioritize engagement over child well-being, restrictions on end-to-end encryption for minors, prominent warning labels about the platform’s risks, permanent bans for adults engaging in or facilitating the exploitation of children, and an independent oversight regime through a court-appointed child safety monitor.
New Mexico’s attorney general slammed
“Meta is showing the world how little it cares about child safety,” New Mexico Attorney General Raul Torrez said in a statement Thursday. “This is is not about technological capability. Meta simply refuses to place the safety of children ahead of …
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