FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: January 7th, 2021
Two prescribed fires are scheduled for January in the Fireshed, Aztec Springs and Pacheco Canyon. Read on for more information on each of them.
Aztec Springs Prescribed Burn Scheduled for January
Santa Fe, NM – The City of Santa Fe Fire Department Wildland Division and The Forest Stewards Guild are planning to take advantage of snowpack conditions to conduct a prescribed pile burn on city land near the municipal watershed starting January 19th and continuing on through February 26th, 2021 weather dependent. The burn will be contingent on wind, relative humidity, temperature, and expected weather patterns and may be postponed and/or cancelled until conditions permit. Open Burning on a smaller scale will be conducted intermittently during this period to burn remote piles and assess conditions on site. This work is part of the Fire Department’s mission to reduce risk to lives and property from wildfire. It is also part of The Greater Santa Fe Fireshed Coalition to improve the health and long-term resilience of forested watersheds and communities by addressing wildfire.
Due to the location of the Aztec Springs Prescribed Pile Burn and its proximity to the city smoke will be visible from City of Santa Fe, State Road 475, State Road 590, and State Road 84/285. Smoke may settle into lower elevations and drainages overnight but should lift by mid-morning. Lingering smoke may be present for up to two days after ignitions are complete.
During the burn period, information regarding the project can be obtained by calling the Santa Fe Fire Department Wildland Division at 505-955-3901 or visiting www.santafefireshed.org.
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SFNF Española District Continues Pile Burns to Reduce Fuels
SANTA FE, NM – Jan. 7, 2021 – Fire managers on the Santa Fe National Forest (SFNF) hope to take advantage of favorable conditions, including forecasted snow over the weekend, to implement the previously announced Pacheco Canyon prescribed pile burn on the Española Ranger District as early as next week.
The 106-acre pile burn is part of the larger Pacheco Canyon Forest Resiliency Project, a 2,042-acre forest restoration project that was instrumental in keeping the lightning-caused Medio Fire from crossing Forest Road (FR) 102 and threatening significant values at risk, including the Santa Fe ski basin and municipal watershed. The Pacheco Canyon treatment area south of FR 102 helped firefighters contain the Medio Fire, which started on Aug. 17, at approximately 4,000 acres.
Each prescribed burn is designed to meet specific objectives and will be managed with firefighter and public safety as the first priority. The Pacheco Canyon pile burn, approximately 6 miles east of Tesuque Pueblo and 3 miles west of Ski Santa Fe, will help reduce the risk of high-severity wildfire by removing woody debris from earlier thinning operations.
Winter is an optimal time to burn slash piles because snow on the ground keeps the fire from spreading to adjacent vegetation. Generally, pile burns produce less smoke and burn with less intensity than broadcast burns across a larger landscape. Fire managers will implement the pile burns only if conditions, including fuel moisture levels, air quality and forecasted weather, are favorable for successful implementation.
The SFNF manages prescribed fires in compliance with New Mexico state regulations on air quality and smoke management. Smoke from the Pacheco Canyon prescribed pile burn may be visible in Santa Fe, Tesuque, Nambe, Los Alamos and Pojoaque as well as the I-25 and US 285/84 corridors.
Smoke-sensitive individuals and people with respiratory problems or heart disease 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 (NMDOH) Environmental Public Health Tracking (EPHT) website. Information on the Forest Stewards Guild’s HEPA Filter Loan Program is available here.
The 2,042-acre Pacheco Canyon project is part of the Greater Santa Fe Fireshed, a collaborative effort focused on making the forested areas within a 107,000-acre perimeter surrounding Santa Fe more resilient to wildfire, insects and disease, drought and climate change.
Fire updates will be posted on the SFNF website, New Mexico Fire Information website and on the Santa Fe National Forest Facebook page and Twitter @SantafeNF.
For more information on the Pacheco Canyon pile burn, contact the Española Ranger District at 505-753-7331.