Fall provides good prescribed
burning conditions—warm days, cool nights and good ventilation for smoke. Fire managers on the Santa Fe National Forest
plan to use this time to conduct several prescribed fires across the forest
over the next few weeks to reduce hazardous fuels, improve wildlife habitat, and
reduce overcrowding of vegetation. The start dates and duration of the burns are subject to
change depending on favorable conditions.
Through hand ignition firefighters will burn
slash piles and conduct broadcast burns (burning surface fuels in a mosaic
pattern). Smoke may be visible
intermittently through the coming weeks.
Name of the prescribed burn: Borrego Mesa
Start date: October 23 through November 15.
Location: Espanola
Ranger District ,Borrego Mesa area, approximately 2 miles east of Cordova,
NM, and 3 miles south of Truchas, NM.
Total acreage: The goal is to
incrementally treat 110 acres
Possible smoke impacts: Smoke may be visible from Santa Fe,
Tesuque, Truchas, Cordova, Penasco and El Rito.
Name of the prescribed burn: Mesa Camino
Start date: October 23
Location: 15 miles NE of Gallina, NM, 8 miles
north of the Coyote Ranger Station.
Total acreage: Approximately 200 acres (100 acres
per day)
Possible smoke impacts: Smoke from the burn will be visible
from Gallina, Coyote, Youngsville, Regina, Llaves, Canones, Ghost Ranch,
Monastery of Christ in the Desert, Abiquiu and possibly Canjilon. Smoke is expected to settle into lower
elevations and in drainages during the evenings, but it should lift by
mid-morning.
Name of the prescribed burn: Gallina Wildland Urban Interface
Start date: The week of October 21st or 28th
Location: 8 miles northwest of the community
of Coyote and 1 mile south of the community of Gallina, NM.
Total acreage: 200 acres; 50-100 acres are planned
for each day as conditions allow.
Possible smoke impacts: Avoid using Forest Road 76 due to
potential smoke impacts. Smoke may also be visible from Gallina, Coyote,
Youngsville, Lindrith, Regina, Llaves, Ghost Ranch, Abiquiu, and possibly
Canjilon.
Name of the prescribed burn: Chaparral Wildland Urban Interface
Start date: October 29th through November as
weather permits
Location: Cuba Ranger District, south of Rancho del Chaparral Girl
Scout Camp
Total acreage: 190 acres
Possible smoke impacts: Smoke may impact Jemez, Gilman, San
Ysidro, and might be visible from Albuquerque, Rio Rancho and Cuba.
Name of the prescribed burn: La Cueva
Start date: October 29th
Location: Pecos Ranger District, 4 miles west of Pecos,
NM
Total acreage: 136 acres
Possible smoke impacts: La Cueva, Glorieta, Canada De Los Alamos, La Joya, Apache
Canyon, Pecos/Upper Pecos Canyon, Rowe, Santa Fe and Santa Fe watershed.
Name of the prescribed burn: Santa Fe Watershed
Start date: October 29th
Location: Espanola Ranger District, 2-6 miles
east/northeast of Santa Fe, NM
Total acreage: 120 acres
Possible smoke impacts: Santa Fe, east of Santa Fe, Tesuque, and I-25; and to the
East from Glorieta to the Pecos Canyon area.
Prior to actual ignition, fire
managers will be considering many factors including: fuel moisture
levels, current and projected weather forecasts, fire personnel resources
available, and air quality. All these factors need to be in alignment in
order to carry out a successful prescribed burn treatment.
The Santa Fe National Forest is
committed to protecting sensitive areas from smoke to the greatest extent
possible. All prescribed burning is
coordinated with NM Air Quality Bureau. Smoke from prescribed fires is
considerably less and of a shorter duration than smoke of wildfires that can
burn for weeks and even months at a time.
Smoke-sensitive individuals and people with respiratory problems are
urged to stay indoors with windows and doors closed when possible.
For more information about these
prescribed fires, please call the Santa Fe National Forest at 505-438-5320.
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