 
|
|
|
Whenever you plan to head out on to your public lands, it's always wise to call ahead to the Field Office or Ranger Station that oversees your destination to check on local conditions. Point and click at the interactive map above to search all of the state's recreation sites for phone numbers and other details. |
New Mexico Fire News
NEW MEXICO RESTRICTIONS AND CLOSURES
SEEING SMOKE IN NEW MEXICO? MAYBE IT'S INTENTIONAL
Fire Restriction Definitions
PRESS SECTION -- click here to read official agency Press Releases and/or Restriction and Closure Orders
|
Prescribed burns like this one help reduce fire danger, and so do following posted restrictions! Keep our public lands open every summer!
|
NEW MEXICO RESTRICTIONS AND CLOSURES
Late August/Early September, 2010
After a LOT of very hot, dry days early in July, the usual "monsoons" did finally arrive and diminish wildfire danger state-wide. Now cooler weather is showing up and hinting at a spectacular fall outdoor season.
Still, last winter was wetter than usual, thus promoting lots of grass growth which dried out in this summer's months of hot and windy weather - making perfect fuels for lightning or human-caused fires. PLEASE read the notices below and in the Press Section, linked above, carefully before you take off for camping or other outdoor activities.
Of course, opportunities for outdoor fun on public lands abound throughout the year. While small fires may temporarily affect travel while being suppressed or managed by fire crews, there is always some place where you can camp, hike, fish, visit historic sites or take a leisurely drive to enjoy the scenery. The bottom line? Always plan outdoor excursions wisely, call local authorities to check on any last-minute changes in conditions before you leave and BE CAREFUL OUT THERE!
Remember, FIREWORKS are ALWAYS illegal on public lands!!
WHAT`S OPEN:
Most EVERYTHING!! except for the few areas listed below.
It`s always wise to call ahead to the Field Office or Ranger Station that oversees your destination to check on local conditions. Point-and-click your way around the interactive map of New Mexico above to search all of the state's recreation sites for phone numbers and other details.
WHAT`S RESTRICTED:
Different land managing agencies establish their fire restrictions for their lands in different ways. Some use national forest or ranger district boundaries, county lines or their agency-based administrative areas. Use the maps found throughout this website to clarify where you might be restricted from using fires. Start here to find county or national forest boundaries.
NATIONAL FORESTS and GRASSLANDS
All five NATIONAL FORESTS in New Mexico have lifted any fire restrictions they may have posted earlier this summer.
NATIONAL PARKS AND MONUMENTS
NONE OF THE NATIONAL PARKS AND MONUMENTS IN NEW MEXICO ARE CURRENTLY OBSERVING ANY SEASONAL FIRE RESTRICTIONS.
However, a fire in May at the CARLSBAD CAVERNS NATIONAL PARK Wilderness Area caused some local closures (see below). Carlsbad Caverns main cave remains open for visitors, as is the scenic loop Walnut Canyon Desert Drive. Evening Bat flight Programs resumed May 24th. ALL back country hiking trails, including Yucca Canyon Trail, Slaughter Canyon Trail, and the Rattlesnake Canyon Trail remain closed for public safety due to fire activity.
Individual National Parks and Monuments maintain differing restrictions on cooking and campfires year round - use the interactive map above to locate individual sites and check the NOTES at the bottom of a site's page for local restrictions.
BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT (BLM)
NO BLM LANDS IN NEW MEXICO ARE CURRENTLY OBSERVING FIRE RESTRICTIONS
For a map of BLM Field Office boundaries in New Mexico, click here .
U. S. ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS Reservoirs
COCHITI LAKE observes Stage One restrictions year-round - NO open fires. Charcoal in their grilles is fine, as is your gas grille.
ABIQUIU LAKE usually follows the lead of its two adjoining National Forests - the Carson and Santa Fe - and observes the restrictions policy of whichever forest has the more lax rules in place; about the only thing you could burn up at Abiquiu Lake is some rocks on their shoreline. CONCHAS LAKE coordinates any restrictions it might impose with the Conchas Lake State Park.
VALLES CALDERA NATIONAL PRESERVE
The unique Preserve west of Los Alamos maintains Level One restrictions year-round.
STATE PARKS and STATE LANDS
Both Fenton Lake and Hyde Memorial State Parks are no longer observing Stage One fire restrictions along with their surrounding Santa Fe National Forest.
STATE TRUST LANDS ARE NOT CURRENTLY OBSERVING FIRE RESTRICTIONS
BERNALILLO COUNTY which surrounds Albuquerque banned smoking and open fires in the bosque (that's "woods" to non-Spanish speakers) along the Rio Grande and in other portions of the county on March 5th. Please observe all local postings and signs.
BUREAU of INDIAN AFFAIRS (BIA)
Although Native American tribal governments cooperate in federal and state fire prevention plans and activities, one should always
remember that tribal lands are NOT public lands; please observe all tribal restrictions on access, photography, etc.
WHAT`S CLOSED:
Local conditions sometimes require land managers to close access or use of areas within their jurisdiction. MANY OF THE CLOSURES BELOW WERE POSTED WITHOUT EXPIRATION DATES - CHECK WITH LOCAL AUTHORITIES TO SEE IF THEY ARE STILL IN PLACE. In fact, ALWAYS check with local offices before venturing out on to New Mexico's public lands.i>
Because of the now 100% contained Rio Fire, Santa Fe National Forest's Road #376 in the JEMEZ RANGER DISTRICT is closed 8 miles north of Gilman at Porter Landing just north of the intersection of FSR 534 and FSR 376. All access routes leading from FSR 376 to Holiday, Schoolhouse and Virgin Mesas are also closed. However, highway 126 is now open.
On June 27th Santa Fe National Forest issued a new Forest Closure Order to restrict access to the immediate perimeter of the Tecolote fire west of Las Vegas. Forest Road 156 to Johnson Mesa at the junction of Forest Road 18 to Mineral Hill, and Forest Road 291 to the Tecolote drainage will remain closed. The purpose of this closure is to provide public and firefighter safety, soil productivity, habitat and heritage site protection within the Tecolote Fire Area. EV Long Campground, day use picnic areas, Hermit's Peak Trail, El Porvenir Trail and Hollinger Hiking Trail are open. In the ESPANOLA RANGER DISTRICT, for the safety of firefighters and the public in the area of the South Fork fire, road closures remain in effect on FR 27 on the fire’s western flank; FR 31, south of the Abiquiu Land Grant; and the section of FR 144 on the southern containment line between FR 27 and 31.
Carlsbad Caverns main cave remains open for visitors. ALL back country hiking trails, including Yucca Canyon Trail, Slaughter Canyon Trail, and the Rattlesnake Canyon Trail remain
closed for public safety due to fire activity.
There is still a problematic area resulting from the 2008 Big Spring fire on the Cibola National Forest's MOUNTAINAIR RANGER DISTRICT near the villages of Torreon and Tajique and the Capilla Peak, New Canyon and Taique Campgrounds remain closed. Call the Ranger Station in Mountainair at 505-847-2990 for more information about other restrictions to your enjoyment of the Manzano Mountains related to past fires.
A section of the Continental Divide National Scenic Trail (CDNST) was closed last fall while fire crews in the Gila National Forest contended with the Moraga fire 19 miles east of Reserve, NM and on Long Canyon Mountain. The Trail was closed beginning at the intersection of the CDNST and Forest Road 3070 (near the Forest Road 3070 and Forest Road 94 junction) and following south on the CDNST to its intersection with Forest Road 28 (also known as the Bursum Road). It's always wise to call ahead to local offices for current trail conditons on the CDNST.
Also on the Gila National Forest, due to wildfire activity 13 miles southeast of Reserve,Forest Road the Hail Canyon Road #4043J is closed due to safety issues effective July 8. Expected reopening of Road 4043J is July 31.
|
SEEING SMOKE IN NEW MEXICO? MAYBE IT'S INTENTIONAL
There are two kinds of fires that might cause some smoke:
One is your well-tended and thoroughly-OUT-when-you-leave CAMP FIRE and the other is a WILDLAND FIRE - that's any non-structure fire that occurs in the wildland.
There are also two types of wildland fires. They are wildfires and prescribed fires.
Wildfires are unplanned ignitions or prescribed fires that are declared wildfires. Some wildfires that occur naturally, by lightning, can be managed to achieve resource management objectives.
Prescribed fires are planned ignitions. They are ignited by agency personnel to meet specific objectives in order to prevent or reduce the intensity of any future wildfire.
Many agencies and tribes practice prescribed burning to eliminate excess fuels and reduce fire danger. Weather and environmental conditions play a key role in the timing and accomplishment of these projects. People in these areas will see and smell smoke for the duration of the burn; smoke inversions may occur during nighttime hours. As always, firefighter and public safety are the top priority. For an example of an agency Press Release announcing a prescribed burn project, click here.
Sometimes, naturally caused wildfires are allowed to burn for the same reasons. The objective of any such "managed" fire is to protect, maintain and enhance resources, and, as nearly as possible, allow fire to function in its natural ecological role within defined boundaries.
Before a fire is put into such status, land managers evaluate several criteria. For example, archaeologists and wildlife biologists inspect the area to ensure wildlife habitats and archaeological sites will not be harmed as a result of the fire or management practices. Before a fire can be actively managed, its boundaries and the weather and fuels conditions under which the fire will be allowed to burn are carefully established.
In both cases, agency fire managers follow strict guidelines, monitoring burn conditions and the generation of smoke. If you are concerned about how wildfire smoke can affect your health, click here.
|
|
Fire managers use prescribed fire as a tool to reduce the risk of wildfire.
|
Fire Restriction Definitions
Remember, FIREWORKS are ALWAYS illegal on public lands!!
Agency and tribal Fire Restrictions and Closures apply to undeveloped lands as well as to their developed recreation sites. Some agencies do not use levels or stages of restrictions; they either are or are not in restrictions as posted above.
To view official Agency Press Releases and Restriction or Closure Orders in detail, click here.
Stage ONE Restrictions:
Open campfires, charcoal grills and stove fires are prohibited, except in developed camp and picnic grounds where agency-built fire rings or grills are provided - these are usually areas that charge campsite fees. Sometimes, getting a campfire permit from the Ranger in developed campgrounds is also required. Check postings at the campground before starting your fire.
Pressurized liquid or gas stoves, lanterns and heaters usually are allowed. Again, check local postings to be sure.
Smoking is restricted to enclosed buildings, within vehicles equipped with ashtrays and on paved or surfaced roads, within developed recreation sites or while stopped in an area at least three feet in diameter that is barren or cleared of all flammable material.
Open burning, i.e., burning of cropland, fields, rangeland, debris burning, slash piles, or weed burning, is prohibited. At this level of fire restrictions, fire managers may use prescribed fire as a tool to reduce the risk of unwanted wildfire.
Stage TWO Restrictions:
NO OPEN FIRES!!! Which means that "building, maintaining, attending or using a fire, campfire, charcoal, broiler, coal, or wood stove fire is prohibited" anywhere in the restricted jurisdiction- even in developed recreation sites. Public lands users are allowed to use pressurized liquid or gas stoves, lanterns, or space-heating devices - check your gear before heading out to be sure it operates safely.
Smoking is only allowed inside an enclosed vehicle.
NO motor vehicles can be taken off road, except when parking in an area devoid of vegetation within 10 feet of the roadway.
Parking overnight in developed campgrounds and trailheads is usually allowed.
Internal or external combustion engines must have properly installed, maintained, and working spark arrestors.
Explosives (including fireworks) are prohibited.
Operating chainsaws, other equipment powered by an internal
combustion engines, and welding is usually restricted as well.
Stage THREE Restrictions authorize partial closure of affected areas.
Stage FOUR Restrictions call for total closure of affected areas.
|
|
Prescribed burns like this one help reduce fire danger, and so do following posted restrictions! Keep our public lands open this summer!
|
LATEST FIRE NEWS
Week of September 14, 2009
Because of many showers in May and June plus the ON parts of New Mexico's ON and OFF "Monsoon Season" in July and August, what is usually called "Fire Season" was relatively mild in 2009. We did have some hot, dry weather and lots of windy "Red Flag" days during the spring and many of the current rainstorms have carried enough lightning to spark up some actual wildfires; all summer long many were carefully monitored while being allowed to burn and reduce dangerous fuel buildups. Summer camping season is pretty much over, but fall hunters are out and about on public lands and the number of campfires that might get away remains a constant concern.
Of course opportunities for outdoor fun on public lands abound year round, even during the spring and summer "fire season." While small fires may temporarily affect travel while being suppressed or managed by fire crews, there is always some place where you can camp, hike, fish, visit historic sites or take a leisurely drive to enjoy the scenery.
Land management agencies, tribal governments, counties and cities pay particularly close attention to fire prevention and preparedness every year - regardless of moisture - to ensure that your outdoor experiences will be pleasant and safe. Often, controlled burning activities are also planned for the spring and fall - see the PRESS SECTION for details.
YOUR bottom line? Always plan outdoor excursions wisely, call local authorities to check on any last-minute changes in conditions before you leave and BE CAREFUL OUT THERE! Remember, FIREWORKS are ALWAYS illegal on public lands!!
|
|
|
)
)
