SFNF News:

SANTA FE – Fire managers on the Jemez Ranger District of the Santa Fe National Forest have started operations on the 1,950-acre Stable Mesa prescribed burn, blacklining the perimeter of the treatment area. If conditions, including fuel moisture levels, air quality and weather forecasts, are favorable, the expectation is to complete ignitions this weekend.

The Stable Mesa unit is located about 5 miles northwest of Jemez Springs, 8 miles north of Gilman and 6 miles west of La Cueva. 

Prescribed fires are one of the most effective tools available to resource managers for restoring fire-adapted ecosystems. These fires mimic natural fires by reducing forest fuels, recycling nutrients and increasing habitat diversity. Prescribed fires are managed with firefighter and public safety as the first priority.

Smoke from the Stable Mesa prescribed burn may be visible along US Highway 550 and I-25 as well as the communities of La Cueva, Los Alamos and Cuba, depending on ventilation and prevailing winds. 

Smoke will be monitored to ensure that the New Mexico Environment Department’s Air Quality Bureau regulations are being met. Smoke-sensitive individuals and people with respiratory or heart disease are encouraged to take precautionary measures.  Information on air quality and protecting your health can be found online at the New Mexico Department of Health’s website at https://nmtracking.org/fire.

For additional information about this prescribed burn, contact the Jemez Ranger District at 575.829.3535.