Heinrich Visits Frijoles Fire Command Center, Meets with Firefighters and Incident Commanders

SANTA FE, N.M. — This week, U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), Ranking Member of the U.S. Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, visited the Frijoles Fire Command Center to receive a briefing on the operations and status of the fire and meet with Incident Commanders, firefighters, first responders, and support staff working to contain the blaze. The Frijoles Fire has burned 15,333 acres and is 59% contained, with 803 personnel currently engaged in the firefighting effort.  

“I’m grateful to the firefighters, Incident Commanders, and support and medical crews who are working around the clock to protect New Mexico communities from the Frijoles Fire,” said Heinrich. “I also want to extend my deepest condolences to the family of Randy Lupe, who tragically lost his life supporting the response. Everyone who responds to wildfires puts themselves in harm’s way to keep our communities safe, and we have a responsibility to make sure they have the resources, equipment, and support they need to do their jobs safely and effectively.” 

U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), Ranking Member of the U.S. Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, meets with firefighters and emergency responders at the Frijoles Fire Incident Command Center, August 27, 2026.  

During the visit, Heinrich received a briefing from the Southwest Complex Incident Management Team 4, which is managing the firefighting operations, and met with crews and support staff.   

Heinrich has led efforts to strengthen the nation’s wildland firefighting workforce, improve wildfire preparedness and response, and ensure New Mexico communities have the federal resources they need in wildfire emergencies. 

Last month, Heinrich sent a letter urging the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to ensure that communities in New Mexico and nationwide receive the federal resources they need to respond to and prevent wildfires, including by promptly approving and distributing Fire Management Assistance Grant and post-fire mitigation funding. 

In June, Heinrich introduced legislation to support the development of next-generation, PFAS-free protective gear to better protect firefighters from the dangers of their work. 

In May, Heinrich criticized the Trump Administration’s cuts to the Forest Service workforce and its plans to reorganize federal firefighting efforts during wildfire season. He warned that losing staff who support incident command teams and wildfire response undermines the nation’s ability to prepare for and fight fires. 

In February, Heinrich urged U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI) Secretary Doug Burgum to halt efforts to create the Department’s new U.S. Wildland Fire Service (USWFS), citing potential life-or-death consequences that could come as a result of decoupling wildfire management from land management agencies, and emphasizing a number of concerns related to recent reductions in staffing, combined with improperly severing wildfire management from land stewardship. 

In February, Heinrich pressed Associate Chief of the U.S. Forest Service Christopher French about the impact of workforce cuts on wildfire preparedness and asked whether federal firefighters are paid enough. Heinrich pointedly asked French if firefighters were being paid enough; French acknowledged that they are not, citing longer fire seasons and growing demands on firefighters and their families.  

Last December, Heinrich led his colleagues in demanding answers from the Forest Service about staffing cuts that had left the agency approximately 38% behind on hazardous fuels reduction work compared with recent years, warning that the decline posed serious risks to public safety and wildfire prevention. 

Last September, Heinrich cosponsored the Honoring Our Fallen Heroes Act, bipartisan legislation that will expand health care coverage and benefits for first responders who become permanently disabled from service-related cancers and the families of those who pass away from these cancers. 

Last August, Heinrich secured $1.1 million for Rio Arriba County to purchase radios and repeater towers for Rio Arriba County Volunteer Fire Departments to facilitate communications when firefighters are on duty.  

Last July, Heinrich sent a letter to U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Brooke Rollins and DOI Secretary Doug Burgum following reports that staff reductions have required the deployment of fire personnel to fill administrative gaps, leaving fire crews understaffed and overwhelmed. In the letter, Heinrich urged the Departments of Agriculture and the Interior to provide adequate resources and support to wildland firefighters. .  

In June of 2025, Heinrich’s Aerial Firefighting Enhancement Act of 2025, legislation to strengthen the aerial wildfire suppression fleet and better combat the year-round threat of catastrophic wildfire, was signed into law after passing the U.S. Senate in April.  

In September 2023, Heinrich cosponsored the bipartisan Wildland Firefighter Paycheck Protection Act, legislation to permanently increase wildland firefighter pay and establish incident response premium pay to account for the 24/7 nature of the work.  

In June 2022, Heinrich helped secure a temporary pay increase for the wildland firefighter workforce, funded by $600 million from the Infrastructure Law. He led calls for the administration to implement the pay increase, which ultimately raised federal wildland firefighter pay by up to $20,000 or 50% of base salary, whichever was less.  

In May 2022, Heinrich secured over $15 million to improve wildfire response capabilities at Kirtland Air Force Base to upgrade facilities to allow the use of Very Large Air Tankers (VLATs) to fight wildfires throughout the state and region.