From left, Carol Pickering of the Tyrone Volunteer Fire Department receives the BLAZE Award at the WUI Summit from Xavier Anderson, New Mexico Forestry Capitan District forester. Also watching are Gila National Forest Fire Prevention-Education-WUI Specialist Ellen Brown and NM Forestry Special Projects Forester for the Socorro District Tonya Vowles, who is stationed in the Silver City Satellite Office. (Courtesy Photo)

By Mary Alice Murphy

The Wildland Urban Interface Summit, on the first day of the annual conference held at Western New Mexico University, on Thursday, March 31, just after lunch, presented the annual BLAZE Community Award to Carol Pickering of the Tyrone Volunteer Fire Department.

"I was totally surprised," Pickering told the Beat. "It's really an honor for me. The award is presented normally to groups or organizations that have made a significant contribution to prevent wildfire in the community."

Katylyn Quiroz of the New Mexico Association of Counties and organizer of this year's event said: "Carol is a true representative of what the BLAZE Awards stands forG