During more than five harrowing weeks last summer, the Las Conchas wildfire raged in New Mexico, burning 156,593 acres, destroying 63 homes and forcing the evacuation of Los Alamos.
Within hours after a fallen power line in the Jemez Mountains sparked the fire on June 26, firefighter Jerome P. Macdonald of Albuquerque, deputy incident commander of the Southwest Area National Incident Management Team, arrived in the thick of the action.
For his team of 50 people, Macdonald planned and organized tactical resources for the "most complex" fire he had seen in New Mexico, given intense winds and the proximity to urban centers.
Las Conchas' scale meant it took three weeks to form a line around the fire's perimeter, he says.
Las Conchas claimed the title of largest wildfire in New Mexico history.
"That fire, because of the winds, burned through 43,000 acres within the first few hours," he says. "It did what (New Mexico wildfire) Cerro Grande did in one day."
The fire required help from 2,557 firefighters and support personnel, and the many volunteers, organizations and agencies who helped with tasks like distributing food and finding shelter for displaced people.
That massive response deserved special recognition, according to the American Red Cross in New Mexico.
On Tuesday, agencies that responded to the Las Conchas fire will receive the Humanitarian award at the Red Cross Real Heroes Breakfast. Macdonald will accept the award on behalf of all responders.
In addition, 10 individual 2012 Real Heroes recipients will be recognized.
The Humanitarian Award was first given last year to honor those who helped in the aftermath of the tragic shooting at Emcore Corp., says Cindy Adams, regional CEO for the American Red Cross in New Mexico. On July 12, 2010, a former employee shot six people at Emcore, a maker of components for fiber optic and solar power markets, killing two people and wounding four others before killing himself.
It was a profound example of volunteers and emergency service communities uniting after tragedy, she says.
The award honors both individuals paid to protect people in emergency situations and the many volunteers who also help in emergencies, Adams says.
Emergency response is an enormous collaborative effort, she says.
"We think we can never thank our volunteers enough," Adams says.
People paid to do emergency work also "needed an extra pat on the back," she adds. "All of us need that extra recognition."
Firefighters don't often get that acknowledgment, Macdonald says.
"Firefighters are used to fighting fires and going home," he says. "We had people from all over the United States (at Las Conchas). They fight fire and they don't expect recognition. They're not the type to stand up in front of the crowd."
Copyright 2012 - Albuquerque Journal, N.M.
McClatchy-Tribune News Service
