BLM News:
SANTA FE — With Increasing moisture and higher humidity statewide, correlating to reduced fire danger, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is terminating seasonal fire restrictions in New Mexico enacted by Fire Prevention Order #NM910-20-02.
Beginning at 8 a.m., today, July 28, the restrictions are rescinded on all lands administered by the Bureau of Land Management within the State of New Mexico.
“We appreciate the public’s compliance with these restrictions to reduce the number of accidental fires this season,” said BLM New Mexico State Director Timothy Spisak. “While the lifting of these restrictions will allow for the use of campfires, caution is still advised when outdoors as not all areas of the state have received equal amounts of moisture. It is recommended to plan your activity and go prepared when spending time outdoors by having a shovel, fire extinguisher and extra water on hand. Please take all precautions when operating vehicles and equipment in areas where dry grass and brush are present.”
The use of exploding targets will continue to be restricted by Fire Prevention Order #NM910-20-01.
This order can be viewed at the BLM NM Fire Restrictions site, along with printable and geo-locatable maps of where this restriction applies.
Additional fire restriction information can be found at www.nmfireinfo.com or https://firerestrictions.us/nm/.
For more information about this and other BLM fire restrictions in New Mexico, please contact Fire Education and Mitigation Specialist Teresa Rigby at 505-954-2256 or visit www.nmfireinfo.com.
With the onset of the summer monsoons and decreasing fire danger, the Carson, Cibola and Santa Fe National Forests are rescinding Stage 2 fire restrictions, including the ban on campfires, at 8 a.m. Wednesday, July 29, 2020.
The forests implemented Stage 2 restrictions, which also included a “hoot owl” provision prohibiting chainsaws between the hours of 10 a.m. and 6 p.m., May 20 to reduce the risk of human-caused wildfire at a time when fire indices were spiking.
Forest managers use several criteria to determine when to lift fire restrictions, including current and predicted weather, fuel moisture, fire activity levels and available firefighting resources. The arrival of monsoonal moisture has eased the dry conditions that led to restrictions and lowered fire danger to low.
Now that campfires are again allowed on Northern New Mexico national forests, fire managers remind the public that abandoned campfires are still the leading cause of human-caused wildfires. Forest visitors are urged to follow campfire safety procedures. It is every camper’s responsibility to properly maintain and extinguish a campfire to prevent wildfires.
Campfire guidelines:
- Never cut whole trees or branches, dead or alive. Live materials will not burn and dead standing trees, snags, are often homes for birds and other wildlife.
- Do not burn aerosol cans, pressurized containers, glass or aluminum cans. They could explode, shatter and/or create harmful fumes.
- Keep the fire to a manageable size.
- Never leave your campfire unattended.
Ensure campfire is fully extinguished:
- Allow wood to burn completely to ash, if possible.
- Pour water on the fire. Drown all embers, not just the red ones. Pour until hissing sound stops.
- If water is not available, stir dirt or sand into the embers with a shovel to bury the fire.
- Scrape any remaining sticks and logs with a shovel to remove any embers.
- Continue adding water, dirt, or sand and stir with a shovel until all material is cool.
- If it is too hot to touch, it is too hot to leave.
Violators of regulations that prohibit abandoning a campfire are subject to a fine and/or imprisonment. If an abandoned campfire causes a wildfire, violators can also be held responsible for fire suppression costs.
The order lifting Stage 2 fire restrictions will be posted under Alerts and Notices on the Santa Fe National Forest website. Stay up to date on closures and other news by checking the SFNF website and following us on Facebook and Twitter.
