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November 12, 2024
Cibola National Forest and National Grasslands fire crews are preparing to implement prescribed (Rx) fire Thursday November 14th on 34 acres of piles within the previously announced Sulphur unit of the Sandia Rx Fire Plan.
Fire managers are taking advantage of recent precipitation, snow covered ground, cooler temperatures, and relative humidity recoveries that creates suitable conditions for burning piled slash and woody debris from earlier forest restoration work.
The Sulphur Rx fire piles burn area is in the Sandia east mountains, north of I-40, west of NM-14 and south of NM-536. See map attached. Visitors may be impacted by the Sulphur Canyon and Cienega Canyon trail systems. Smoke may be visible in the surrounding areas of Albuquerque, Tijeras, Edgewood and Moriarty, NM.
Ignition will depend upon agency administrator approval and conditions within the ranges outlined in the prescribed burn plan. Each prescribed fire is designed to accomplish specific objectives and is managed with firefighter and public safety as the highest priority. Fire managers use prescribed fire to improve forest health, remove hazardous fuels, increase firefighter safety, enhance wildlife habitat, and protect communities and watersheds.
Jan 30, 2024
Crews Preparing to Implement Prescribed Fire Operations
Sandia Ranger District - Sulphur Unit - Piles
Cibola National Forest and National Grasslands fire crews are preparing to implement prescribed fire operations on approximately 10 acres of piles within the previously announced Sulphur unit of the Sandia Piles RX Plan on January 31. The pile burn area is located in the Sandia east mountains, north of I-40, west of NM-14 and south of NM-536. See map attached. Smoke may be visible from Albuquerque, Tijeras and Edgewood.
Ignition will depend upon agency administrator approval and conditions within the ranges outlined in the prescribed burn plan. Each prescribed fire is designed to accomplish specific objectives and is managed with firefighter and public safety as the highest priority. Fire managers use prescribed fire to improve forest health, remove hazardous fuels, increase firefighter safety, enhance wildlife habitat, and protect communities and watersheds.
Jan 26, 2024
Crews complete 15 acres of prescribed fire pile burning on Sulphur Unit of the Sandia Ranger District
Cibola National Forest & National Grasslands fire managers took advantage of favorable weather conditions this week to implement prescribed fire pile burning on the previously announced Sulphur unit on the Sandia Ranger District. The pile burn area is located in the Sandia east mountains, north of I-40, west of NM-14 and south of NM-536. See map attached.
Crews completed 15 acres of pile burning this week and will continue to look for opportunities through March for additional acres of piles within the unit.
Ignition on prescribed fire depends upon agency administrator approval and conditions within the ranges outlined in the prescribed burn plan. Each prescribed fire is designed to accomplish specific objectives and is managed with firefighter and public safety as the highest priority. Fire managers use prescribed fire to improve forest health, remove hazardous fuels, increase firefighter safety, enhance wildlife habitat, and protect communities and watersheds.
Winter is an optimal time to burn piled slash and woody debris from earlier forest restoration work because snow on the ground keeps the fire from spreading to adjacent vegetation. The Cibola NF & NGs manages all prescribed fires in compliance with New Mexico state air quality and smoke management regulations.
For more information on the Sulphur Canyon prescribed fire pile burn, contact the Sandia Ranger District Office: 505-281-3304 or Cibola National Forest and National Grasslands Supervisor’s Office: 505-346-3900
Crews Begin Winter Pile Burning on the Sandia Ranger District
Starting as early as January 17 through March
ALBUQUERQUE, NM – Jan. 16, 2024 – Cibola National Forest and National Grasslands fire crews are preparing to implement prescribed fire as early as January 17 through March on 60 acres of piles within the previously announced Sulphur unit of the Sandia Piles RX Plan. The pile burn area is located in the Sandia east mountains, north of I-40, west of NM-14 and south of NM-536. See map attached. Smoke may be visible from Albuquerque, Tijeras and Edgewood.
Ignition will depend upon agency administrator approval and conditions within the ranges outlined in the prescribed burn plan. Each prescribed fire is designed to accomplish specific objectives and is managed with firefighter and public safety as the highest priority. Fire managers use prescribed fire to improve forest health, remove hazardous fuels, increase firefighter safety, enhance wildlife habitat, and protect communities and watersheds.
Winter is an optimal time to burn piled slash and woody debris from earlier forest restoration work because snow on the ground keeps the fire from spreading to adjacent vegetation. The Cibola NF & NGs manages all prescribed fires in compliance with New Mexico state air quality and smoke management regulations. However, smoke may settle into drainages and lower elevations at night but is expected to dissipate as daytime temperatures increase.
Information on air quality and protecting your health can be found online at the www.airnow.gov/. 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.
Implementation announcements and updates on prescribed fire projects will be posted on New Mexico Fire Information and on the Cibola NF & NGs website, Cibola Facebook and Cibola Twitter sites.
For more information on the Sulphur Canyon prescribed fire pile burn, contact the Sandia Ranger District Office: 505-281-3304 or Cibola National Forest and National Grasslands Supervisor’s Office: 505-346-3900.
Sulphur Canyon Prescribed Fire Postponed Sandia Ranger District
ALBUQUERQUE, NM – February 13, 2023 – The Sandia Ranger District of the Cibola National Forest and National Grasslands has postponed the Sulphur Canyon prescribed fire pile burning due to forecast weather conditions that are outside of prescription criteria.
Pending agency administrator approval and conditions within the ranges outlined in burn plan, the Sulphur Canyon pile burning may be rescheduled. Optimal conditions would result in effective smoke ventilation and dispersal and to achieve the desired effects needed to accomplish the burn plan objectives. Location of the previously announced pile burn area of the Sulphur unit under the Sandia Pile RX plan is located in the Sandia east mountains, north of I-40, west of NM-14 and south of NM-536.
Prescribed fires are utilized to remove hazardous fuels, return nutrients to the soil and improve forest health. Fuels specialists write prescribed burn plans that identify – or prescribe – the best conditions under which trees and other plants will burn to safely optimize results. Burn plans consider temperature, humidity, wind, moisture of the vegetation and optimal conditions for smoke dispersal.
| Current as of | Sat, 11/16/2024 - 18:24 |
|---|---|
| Incident Type | Prescribed Fire |
| Date of Origin | |
| Location | Sulphur Canyon, Sandia Ranger District, Cibola National Forest |
| Incident Commander | USDA Forest Service Cibola National Forest Sandia Ranger District Brent Baca |
| Incident Description | November 12, 2024 Cibola National Forest and National Grasslands fire crews are preparing to implement prescribed (Rx) fire Thursday November 14th on 34 acres of piles within the previously announced Sulphur unit of the Sandia Rx Fire Plan. Fire managers are taking advantage of recent precipitation, snow covered ground, cooler temperatures, and relative humidity recoveries that creates suitable conditions for burning piled slash and woody debris from earlier forest restoration work. The Sulphur Rx fire piles burn area is in the Sandia east mountains, north of I-40, west of NM-14 and south of NM-536. See map attached. Visitors may be impacted by the Sulphur Canyon and Cienega Canyon trail systems. Smoke may be visible in the surrounding areas of Albuquerque, Tijeras, Edgewood and Moriarty, NM. Ignition will depend upon agency administrator approval and conditions within the ranges outlined in the prescribed burn plan. Each prescribed fire is designed to accomplish specific objectives and is managed with firefighter and public safety as the highest priority. Fire managers use prescribed fire to improve forest health, remove hazardous fuels, increase firefighter safety, enhance wildlife habitat, and protect communities and watersheds. Jan 30, 2024 Crews Preparing to Implement Prescribed Fire Operations Cibola National Forest and National Grasslands fire crews are preparing to implement prescribed fire operations on approximately 10 acres of piles within the previously announced Sulphur unit of the Sandia Piles RX Plan on January 31. The pile burn area is located in the Sandia east mountains, north of I-40, west of NM-14 and south of NM-536. See map attached. Smoke may be visible from Albuquerque, Tijeras and Edgewood. The previous Jan 31 prescribe fire operation achieved 27 acres of pile burning within the 100 acres of piles of Sulphur unit under the Sandia Piles Rx plan. Fire crews plan to continue prescribed fire operations as early as Tues. Feb 14 (POSTPONED) on the Sulphur unit of the Sandia Ranger District. Ignition start will depend upon agency administrator approval and conditions within the ranges outlined in burn plan. Optimal conditions will result in effective smoke ventilation and dispersal and help achieve the desired effects needed to accomplish the burn plan objectives. |
| Coordinates |
35.168712° 10.1227' 7.3632'' Latitude
-106.375405° 22.5243' 31.458
'' Longitude
|
| Size | 34 Acres |
|---|---|
| Fuels Involved | Piled slash and woody debris from earlier forest restoration work. |
| Significant Events | 11/16/24: Fire crews for the Cibola National Forest & National Grasslands (NF & NG) have successfully completed a total of 12 acres of pile burning with yesterday and today’s prescribe fire (Rx) ignitions within the 34 acres of the previously announced Sulphur Rx Fire Piles on the Sandia Ranger District. Fire personnel will continue to monitor the Sulphur Rx Fire Piles as a winter weather system is expected to come into the area tomorrow afternoon. If in the coming weeks the Sulphur area receives more precipitation for additional snow cover creating optimal conditions for burning piled slash and woody debris from previous restoration work, fire managers may announce the possible continuation of ignitions on the remaining acres of the Sulphur Rx Fire Pile area.
11/15/24: Fire crews for the Cibola National Forest & National Grasslands (NF & NG) completed 6 acres of pile burning today on the previously announced 34 acres of Sulphur prescribed fire (Rx) Piles on the Sandia Ranger District. Pending favorable conditions fire managers will assess conditions to continue pile burn ignitions on Saturday November 16 within the Sulphur Rx Piles plan area.
11/14/24: Fire management for the Cibola National Forest & National Grasslands (NF & NG) did not proceed on ignitions today on the previously announced Sulphur prescribed fire (Rx) Piles on the Sandia Ranger District after test fire resulted in unfavorable conditions for continued burn operations. Fire managers will continue to assess conditions in the coming days to ensure they fall within the range outlined in the prescribed fire plan before proceeding with operations on the Sulphur Rx fire piles. A final decision to proceed with a prescribed fire depends on agency administrator approval, resource availability, and favorable conditions including fuel moisture levels, air quality and forecast weather. If conditions are not met, the decision will be made to postpone until favorable conditions allow for successful operations. 11/12/24: Cibola National Forest and National Grasslands fire crews are preparing to implement prescribed (Rx) fire Thursday November 14th on 34 acres of piles within the previously announced Sulphur unit of the Sandia Rx Fire Plan. 1/30/24: Cibola National Forest and National Grasslands fire crews are preparing to implement prescribed fire operations on approximately 10 acres of piles within the previously announced Sulphur unit of the Sandia Piles RX Plan on January 31. The pile burn area is located in the Sandia east mountains, north of I-40, west of NM-14 and south of NM-536. See map attached. Smoke may be visible from Albuquerque, Tijeras and Edgewood. 1/24- 1/25/2024: Crews completed 15 acres of pile burning this week and will continue to look for opportunities through March for additional acres of piles within the unit. 1/31/23: Pile burn operations started at 10:56 am 2/1/23: Pile burn operations continue with ignitions starting at 11:00 am 2/2/23 Update: Yesterday, Cibola National Forest and National Grasslands fire crews completed ignition of 27 acres of prescribed pile burning of Sulphur unit under the Sandia Piles Rx plan. Onsite resources will continue securing and mopping up all hotspots within the burn perimeter until it is completely out. 2/9/23 Update: Cibola National Forest and National Grasslands fire crews will continue prescribed fire operations as early as Tues. Feb 14 on the Sulphur unit of the Sandia Ranger District. 2/13/23 Update: The Sandia Ranger District of the Cibola National Forest and National Grasslands has POSTPONED the Sulphur Canyon prescribed fire pile burning due to forecast weather conditions that are outside of prescription criteria. |
| Planned Actions |
11/16/24: Fire crews for the Cibola National Forest & National Grasslands (NF & NG) have successfully completed a total of 12 acres of pile burning with yesterday and today’s prescribe fire (Rx) ignitions within the 34 acres of the previously announced Sulphur Rx Fire Piles on the Sandia Ranger District. Fire personnel will continue to monitor the Sulphur Rx Fire Piles as a winter weather system is expected to come into the area tomorrow afternoon. If in the coming weeks the Sulphur area receives more precipitation for additional snow cover creating optimal conditions for burning piled slash and woody debris from previous restoration work, fire managers may announce the possible continuation of ignitions on the remaining acres of the Sulphur Rx Fire Pile area.
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| Remarks |
Ignition start will depend upon agency administrator approval and conditions within the ranges outlined in burn plan. Optimal conditions will result in effective smoke ventilation and dispersal and help achieve the desired effects needed to accomplish the burn plan objectives. Pending suitable conditions, winter is an optimal time to burn piled slash and woody debris from earlier forest restoration work since snow on the ground keeps fire from spreading to adjacent vegetation. Prescribed fires are utilized to remove hazardous fuels, return nutrients to the soil and improve forest health. Fuels specialists write prescribed burn plans that identify – or prescribe – the best conditions under which trees and other plants will burn to safely optimize results. Burn plans consider temperature, humidity, wind, moisture of the vegetation and optimal conditions for smoke dispersal. Generally, pile burns produce less smoke and burn with less intensity than broadcast burns across a larger landscape. Fire personnel will monitor the burn perimeter until it is completely out. Smoke may be visible periodically from local communities for the duration of the project until the burning vegetation is out. However, firefighters take measures to reduce smoke impacts as much as possible. Information on air quality and protecting your health can be found online at the www.airnow.gov/ Our land management strategy is centered on long-term forest health which includes reducing forest fuels and using prescribed fire on the landscape. A healthy forest is a resilient forest that undergoes fire occurrences on a regular basis. After prescribed fire is completed, if a future wildfire reaches this area, the fire behavior will likely be modified to a less intense, more manageable surface fire due to the absence of accumulated debris and ladder fuels. Implementation announcements and updates on prescribed fire projects will be posted on InciWeb, New Mexico Fire Information and on the Cibola NF & NGs website, Cibola Facebook and Cibola Twitter sites. Sandia Ranger District Office: 505-281-3304 Cibola National Forest and National Grasslands Supervisor’s Office: 505-346-3900 |