A range fire that started on the Melrose Bombing Range used by aircraft from Cannon AFB, N.M., destroyed some 27,000 acres, quickly spreading off the range to private land around Floyd, N.M. There has been no official word on the cause of the fire, but Cannon officials told landowners the Air Force intends to “fairly compensate” for the damages, according to the Clovis News-Journal. Area landowners say the greater loss may be in the erosion caused by the fire, and that, unlike fences, erosion is harder to put a price on.
The Department of the Air Force wants to launch a construction boom with its fiscal 2027 budget, more than doubling its request over 2026, according to budget documents.