SFNF News:

• • • • • Favorable weather conditions are in place for hazardous fuels reduction work

SANTA FE — The Santa Fe National Forest (SFNF) is planning prescribed fire pile burns, pending all required approvals. SFNF estimates this work to continue through the winter as weather conditions allow.

Pile burning is meant to treat slash, like branches, piled by thinning crews with the aim of reducing flammable fuels. The decision to proceed with each pile burn will depend on multiple factors, including snowpack, air quality, ventilation, forecast weather and wind, and resource availability. SFNF uses prescribed fire to help reduce overgrown vegetation to aid in protecting local communities, infrastructure, and natural resources from wildfires.

Prescribed pile burns planned on the Santa Fe National Forest include:

• Española Ranger District
• Hyde Park North Ridge Piles: 42 acres north of Black Canyon Campground.
• Thompson Ridge Piles: 146 acres in Santa Fe near McClure Reservoir.
• Tesuque Piles: 485 acres north of Santa Fe

Jemez Ranger District

• San Diego Egress Piles: 17 acres located north of the village of Jemez Springs;
• Horseshoe Piles: 239 acres near La Cueva, north of the village of Jemez Springs;
• Paliza South Landing Piles: 412 acres south of the village of Jemez Springs; and
• Thompson Ridge Burn Pit: 1 acre near the community of Thompson Ridge.

Operations aim to burn slash generated by the community during defensible space cleanup.

Cuba Ranger District

• American Park Hand Piles: 28 acres located near the Palomas and Wetherill Estates east of Cuba;
• Rock Creek Landing Piles: 208 acres east of Cuba; and
• Tusas West Unit Piles: 224 acres in the Rancho de Chaparral Girl Scout Camp near Cuba.

Areas may close to the public for several days for safety. Watch for warning signs along roads near all prescribed fire areas before and during burns.

Residents may experience smoke during the prescribed burns. For more detailed information about air quality, go to AirNow online or download the app. When driving, slow down and turn on your headlights when you encounter smoke on the road.

SFNF will evaluate weather conditions and snowpack before a pile burn begins. If conditions warrant, scheduled prescribed fire activities may be canceled. Click here.

Stay informed about the scheduled prescribed fires through the forest website, social media channels, and InciWeb, the interagency incident information system. We will notify county emergency management officials when burning begins. 

About the Forest Service: 

The USDA Forest Service has, for more than 100 years, brought people and communities together to answer the call of conservation. Grounded in world-class science and technology– and rooted in communities–the Forest Service connects people to nature and to each other. The Forest Service cares for shared natural resources in ways that promote lasting economic, ecological, and social vitality. The agency manages 193 million acres of public land, provides assistance to state and private landowners, maintains the largest wildland fire and forestry research organizations in the world. The Forest Service also has either a direct or indirect role in stewardship of about 900 million forested acres within the U.S., of which over 130 million acres are urban forests where most Americans live.