Aztec Springs Prescribed Burn (Prescribed Fire)

Fire managers on the Santa Fe National Forest (SFNF) implemented the Aztec Springs prescribed burn in the Santa Fe Municipal Watershed on the Española Ranger District today.The decision to proceed was based on multiple factors, including resource availability, fuel moisture levels, air quality, ventilation, and forecasted weather and wind. Prescribed burns are designed to meet specific objectives and are always managed with firefighter and public safety as the first priority. Crews used hand and aerial ignitions to treat approximately 300 acres north of Nichols Reservoir and Granite Point in the lower portion of the Santa Fe Municipal Watershed. The Santa Fe Watershed prescribed burn is specifically designed to improve and protect the 17,384-acre Municipal Watershed, which provides more than 40% of the water for the City of Santa Fe, by removing dead forest fuels and reducing the risk of high-intensity wildfire within the watershed and nearby neighborhoods.