Prescribed Fires Planned on Wilderness Ranger District

Release Date: Jan 5, 2017

Mimbres, NM; January 5, 2017 – For Immediate Release –The Wilderness Ranger District is planning to conduct various prescribed fires beginning the week of January 9 weather permitting,  and on into the spring as conditions allow. The projects include broadcast burning and pile burning.

• Pile burns are planned in these locations:
• Off Hwy 35, and Elkhorn Road, behind Desert West Auction
• Lake Roberts off Forest Drive and FSR 4206M
• Near the Gila National Monument Visitor Center
• Off Hwy 35 behind Camp Thunderbird
• Off Hwy 35 along FSR 4085Y
• Off Hwy 35 along Lincoln Canyon Road

Broadcast burns are prescribed burning activities where fire is applied generally to most or all of an area within well-defined boundaries. The following broadcast burn is partially funded by the New Mexico Department of Game & Fish:

• T-Bird 1 Rx, 128 acres, located off Forest Service Road (FSR) 4085Q (Elks Pasture Road), south of private property on Ponderosa Road and west of Camp Thunderbird.

Smoke and flames will be noticeable during days of ignitions and may linger at night and early morning. For firefighter and public safety, Gila National Forest officials remind the public to not enter or park near the project areas and to watch for firefighters and equipment in the described locations.

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. The prescribed burns are designed to remove dead forest fuels, provide community protection and promote forest health. Prescribed fires are managed with firefighter and public safety as first priority. Smoke-sensitive individuals and people with respiratory problems 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 website at https://nmtracking.org/environment/air/FireAndSmoke.html. For more information on these prescribed burns, contact the Wilderness Ranger District 575-535-2250.

For information on the Gila National Forest, check out our website at http://www.fs.usda.gov/gila or join the conversation on Facebook at www.facebook.com/GilaNForest/ or follow us on Twitter @GilaNForest.

 

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