SILVER CITY, N.M. -- The Gila National Forest Reserve Ranger District plans district-wide burns, which include prescribed fire and burn piles, weather and fire conditions permitting.

Prescribed broadcast burning in the area of Eckleberger/Yeguas Park, east of Rainy Mesa Ranch will begin late October into November 2014. This 3,000 acre burn will complete the final burn unit within the Eckleberger project area.

With the onset of winter approaching, the district is also preparing to burn piles at various district locations. These areas will be signed and posted for public awareness. Burn piles will be ongoing throughout the winter as conditions are conducive to burning.

One can expect to see smoke in these areas during days of ignitions. The objectives of these burns are to reduce wildfire threat by removing fuels created from past and ongoing thinning projects.

The burns will be conducted at the following locations:

• Eckleberger broadcast burn is approximately 14 miles southeast of Village of Reserve approximately one mile east of Rainy Mesa Ranch FR 141 and FR 503;
• Rancho Grande Subdivision piles; approximately seven miles southwest of Reserve along US Highway 180;
• Reserve Administrative Site piles; one mile west of Reserve at the Reserve Ranger District Administrative Site;
• Negrito Fire Base piles; approximately 20 miles southeast of Reserve along FR 141 and FR 28;
• SU slash pit; approximately four miles southwest of Reserve West of State Highway 12 along FR 578;
• Five Bar Subdivision piles; five miles southwest of Reserve East of State Highway 12 along CAT-B056;
• Cruzville Interpretive Site piles; CAT-B092 half mile east of State Highway 12 across from Cruzville solid waste convenience center;
• Highway Department Piles; along north side of State Highway 12 and US Highway 180 behind Highway Dept. and across from Reserve Airstrip;
• Lower Frisco piles directly west of State Highway 435 across from fire station;
• Willow Creek Mesa/Gilita Slash Pit piles; FR 28 & FR 153, one mile West of Willow Creek.

Smoke may be visible in the areas where the burns are being conducted and may linger at night and early morning, but normally decreases significantly as daytime weather prevails.

Further information may be obtained by contacting District Fire Management Officer Shilow Norton or Fuels Specialist Pete Delgado at (575) 533-6232.