RESERVE, NM; Oct. 1, 2015 - Reserve Ranger District fire management personnel are preparing to conduct the 2,500-acre Sheep Basin prescribed fire, approximately ten miles southeast of Reserve, NM off Forest Road 141. Ignitions may occur when conditions are favorable anytime from mid-Oct. into Nov. 2015.

This broadcast burn (activity where fire is applied generally to most or all of an area within well-defined boundaries) will complete the 6,500-acre Sheep Basin project. Support for this ongoing wildlife habitat improvement project is provided by the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation and New Mexico Department of Game and Fish. With the onset of winter, district personnel are also planning to burn slash piles at various locations. These areas will be signed and posted for public awareness. Pile burning will be ongoing throughout the winter as conditions allow. Objectives of these burns include removing hazardous fuels and reducing the threat of severe wildfires.

Location of the pile burns:
SU slash pit: approximately 4 miles southwest of Reserve, west of NM 12 along FR 578
Five Bar Subdivision piles: 5 miles southwest of Reserve, east of NM 12 along CAT-B056
Highway Department piles; along north side of Hwy 12 and Hwy 180 behind Highway Dept. and across from Reserve airstrip
Black and Deer Timber Sale piles: 12 miles southeast of Reserve FR 141, FR 626 and 179

Smoke will be visible in the areas where the burns are being conducted and may linger at night and early morning, but normally will decrease as temperatures rise during the day. Please drive slowly and be alert to personnel and equipment while traveling in these project locations.

Further information may be obtained by contacting Shilow Norton, District Fire Management Officer or Pete Delgado, District Fuels Specialist at (575) 533-6231.