Gila National Forest gearing up for winter prescribed burning

Category: Local News Releases Local News Releases
Published: 29 November 2023 29 November 2023

Multiple prescribed fire projects are planned across several ranger districts


GLENWOOD, NM, November 29, 2023 – The Gila National Forest, Glenwood, Silver City, and Wilderness ranger districts are preparing to implement prescribed fires through the winter months, beginning as early as December 4.

“The primary purpose of these activities is to reduce hazardous fuels near community values at risk,” said Gila National Forest Supervisor Camille Howes. “Prescribed fire is the most efficient and effective tool available for removing hazardous fuels from the public land.”

The following prescribed fire projects on the Wilderness Ranger District were previously reported last week. In addition, several projects are planned on the Glenwood and Silver City Ranger Districts.
Wilderness Ranger District

• Meekins Prescribed Fire is a 530-acre broadcast burn project in the Upper Terry Canyon area between Forest Road 150 and Forest Road 4079P. In broadcast burning, fire is applied across a predefined area of the landscape, requiring relatively dry fuels that are receptive to low- to moderate-intensity fire.


• Gattons Park Wildland Urban Interface Prescribed Fire is a 132-acre broadcast burn project along the south side of New Mexico Highway 35 near the Gattons Park subdivision.


• Slash piles may be burned on 35 acres of the Gila National Forest in the Lake Roberts area if sufficient moisture is received. In pile burning, fire is used to consume piled woody slash, requiring wetter conditions that do not allow fire to spread beyond the piles.


Smoke may be visible along New Mexico Highway 35 and could impact driving visibility, especially at night and in the early morning.


Glenwood Ranger District


• Pine Cienega slash piles – located in Grant County, off Brushy Mountain (Grant County Road 5-12) about 23 miles southwest of Glenwood, NM. The project includes about 300 acres of slash piles resulting from thinning of hazardous fuels in February 2022.


• Glenwood Community Slash Pit – located off of Sheridan Corral Road (Catron County road 54) about 7 miles south-southeast of Glenwood, NM. The project includes woody slash materials dropped off at the slash pit by local community members to be burned annually.


• Pueblo Park Campground is located on Pueblo Park Road (Catron County Road 13) about 20 miles north of Glenwood, NM. The campground has been thinned of ladder fuels and understory brush to reduce the fire hazard within the campground and cut material has been piled.
Smoke may be visible along US Highway 180, in the Mule Creek area, and at Pueblo Park and surrounding areas, especially at night and during early morning hours.


Silver City Ranger District


• Pinos Altos WUI broadcast burn project located east of highway 15 north of Pinos 12 acres Arrastra site unit, in the Little Walnut. Excluding Bear Creek.


• Gomez Peak broadcast burn units units 117 to 187 acres in size each, located north of Gomez peak as conditions allow.


• Slash piles may be burned on 35 acres of the Gila National Forest in the Little Cheery Creek, Lake Roberts area and at the Fort Bayard administrative site if sufficient moisture is received.
Smoke may be visible along New Mexico Highway 15, along Little Walnut Road, and in Santa Clara. All areas will be signed and posted for public awareness. The districts are preparing for both broadcast and pile burning so that opportunities to treat the landscape with fire will not be missed, when the right wet or dry weather conditions arise.


Smoke can be expected to settle into valleys and low-lying areas surrounding these prescribed fire projects, especially at night and in the early morning, normally decreasing as daytime weather prevails. Air quality will be monitored to ensure that the New Mexico Environment Department’s Air Quality Bureau regulations are being met. Smoke-sensitive individuals and those with respiratory or heart disease should take precautionary measures. Air quality information and health protection measures are posted online at https://nmfireinfo.com/smoke-management/


For more information contact Maribeth Pecotte at 575-388-8211 or Maribeth.Pecotte@usda.gov .

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