NMCIF Sandia RD Sulphur Canyon Prescribed Fire Pile Burn

Last updated: 2023-01-31

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The type of incident is Prescribed Fire and involves the following unit(s) Cibola National Forest.

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State: New Mexico

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Coordinates:

Latitude: 35.168712° 10.1227 7.3632 Longitude: 106.375405° 22.5243 31.458

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NOTE: All fire perimeters and points are approximations.

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Incident Overview: November 12, 2024Cibola 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, 2024Crews Preparing to Implement Prescribed Fire OperationsSandia Ranger District – Sulphur Unit – PilesCibola 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, 2024Crews complete 15 acres of prescribed fire pile burning on Sulphur Unit of the Sandia Ranger DistrictCibola 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 DistrictStarting as early as January 17 through MarchALBUQUERQUE, 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 DistrictALBUQUERQUE, 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.