SFNF News:

SANTA FE – Fire managers will begin ignitions Thursday on 2 to 3 acres of the Hyde Park pile burn project near Black Canyon Campground in the Española Ranger District. Smoke may be visible from Santa Fe.

The Hyde Park project marks the end of prescribed pile burn projects for the 2023-2024 winter season on the Santa Fe National Forest. Fire managers will now shift their focus to actively monitoring all fall and winter prescribed fire units.

Fire managers completed prescribed fire projects in the Cuba, Coyote, Jemez and Española Ranger Districts this past fall and winter. Fire crews treated 1,000 acres of hazardous fuels through pile burn projects and 3,000 acres within the Rincon and Golondrino broadcast burns last fall.

These prescribed fire projects support the wildfire crisis strategy, a 10-year strategy to address the wildfire crisis in places where fire poses the most immediate threats to communities. The purpose of this strategy is to reduce wildfire risk to communities and create a forest more resilient to natural fire in the future.

As snow begins to melt and weather warms, fire crews will monitor prescribed fire projects daily. Each prescribed fire is different and requires a unique set of tools to call the fire out. SFNF fire managers determine the appropriate drone platform or other aerial resources to use (such as helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft). Both handheld infrared devices and drones can be used to detect residual heat. Once no heat is detected and vegetation is no longer burning in the area a prescribed fire is determined to be out.

For more information on SFNF prescribed fire activities, visit the SFNF website, NM Fire Info, and the SFNF social media (Facebook and X).