Prescribed burns planned this spring and summer

Late winter and early spring storms have given fire managers in the Mountainair Ranger District the opportunity to explore spring prescribed burning in the Manzano Mountains. According to a press release from the Forest Service, if conditions are suitable, fire crews will be evaluating parts of the Thunderbird area as well as the Chato burn. These are continuations of the burns conducted in the past several years. The burns are located within the Thunderbird Ecosystem Management Project area. The total acreage is approximately 1,400 acres which will be broken into several smaller blocks, which are not all adjacent to each other. These blocks have been previously thinned, and fire personnel will be reentering the area to burn excess material left behind. The burns do not have set dates but can be expected to be conducted in April, May or even through the summer if weather permits. Fire managers will be evaluating resource availability, weather patterns and fuel moistures to determine the best day and time to implement any burns. Once ignited, fire crews will be monitoring the burns. The goal of these burns is to improve watershed and wildlife biodiversity and help protect private property in the event of a wildfire by reducing fuel loading. The Manzano Mountain ecosystem depends on fire to promote new vegetation, enhance habitat and reduce the threats of large fires, the Forest Service said. It also is intended to improve public and firefighter safety by reducing the accumulated fuels that could otherwise contribute to more intense fire behavior under hotter and drier conditions. During the prescribed burns, roads directly affected by the burn may be closed to the public. Signs will be posted in any areas with temporary road closures. Temporary road signs warning about smoke and activity on the roads will be posted on State Highways 131 and 55 along with Forest Roads 422, 253 and 275 in the Cibola National Forest. Smoke may be noticeable throughout any of the local mountain communities and could include the Estancia Valley and the west side of the Manzano Mountains. Smoke may be seen as far north as State Highways 217 and 337. Firefighters will make every attempt to burn during times of the day when ventilation is optimal, the Forest Service said. Additional fire vehicles will be in the area patrolling and monitoring the roads. On affected roads, visibility might be impacted due to smoke. For more information contact Arlene Perea at 505-506-1959, 505847-2990 or atperea@fs.fed.us.

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