Work continues at the Roswell Air Center to enhance the east side location where the U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has its air tanker base.

On Friday, crews were amid construction of the BLM’s Taxiway L. This area is for aircraft to prepare for aerial firefighting.

“This is an important project that will help service the surrounding area and all of New Mexico’s forest fire emergency response,” said Roswell City Manager Chad Cole. "Right now, they can only line up one tanker at a time to be filled.”

When completed, the taxiway will allow several tankers at a time to line up and fill up.

“And then get to these fires quickly at scale for suppression,” Cole explained.

In this context, the term "at scale” describes the strategy used for major wildfire suppression.

The BLM’s practic

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