New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham on Wednesday declared a statewide emergency due to widespread drought and severe wildfire conditions, which mobilizes various state agencies to provide affected communities with resources.
The governor’s executive order cites the state’s historically low snowpack, high spring temperatures, severe winds and ongoing wildfires. It directs the state’s Drought Task Force to ensure communities receive “available information and resources to enable them to prepare for and respond to drought conditions and conserve and protect New Mexico’s water supplies.”
Coinciding with the executive order, the governor’s office publicized a new website — the Drought Information Portal — that contains an array of state and federal resources regarding the ongoing drought, weather conditions and fire risk.
“New Mexico is experiencing unprecedented drought and fire danger, and we must act decisively to safeguard our communities and water supplies,” Lujan Grisham said in a news release Wednesday. “This executive order strengthens our statewide response and connects New Mexicans to the information and support they need.”
The executive order does not direct the spending of any state funds.
As of Wednesday, 94% of the state is experiencing various severity of drought, according to the United States Drought Monitor. Meanwhile, the Seven Cabins Fire in the Capitan Mountains Wilderness has grown to nearly 16,500 acres and is only 7% contained, and a new wildfire started Wednesday morning in the Magdalena Mountains.
According to the governor’s office, New Mexico experienced 366 wildfires before May 1 this year, which is twice the number of wildfires compared to the same period last year.
During the first four months of 2026, New Mexico experienced twice the number of wildfires compared to the same period in 2025, a total of 366 fires before the first of May.
“You can protect your home and loved ones by creating defensible space, removing dead leaves and grass and following state fire restrictions,” State Forester Laura McCarthy said in a statement. “The state Forestry Division is responding to wildfires daily and providing timely and accurate information about wildfires as they occur.”
