SANTA FE, NM – September 28, 2018 – For Immediate Release.
Fire managers on the Jemez Ranger District of the Santa Fe National Forest (SFNF) plan to implement a prescribed burn, if conditions allow, between October 15 and November 30 in the Tent Rocks area. The treatment area is approximately 3.5 miles north of Jemez Springs, NM and less than 1 mile southwest of La Cueva, NM. The Tent Rocks prescribed burn is to reduce risk of high-severity wildfire.
Favorable conditions measured include fuel moisture levels, air quality, winds and weather forecasts. Up to 1,310 acres of hazardous fuels may be treated per day and for up to two days.
Forest Roads 604 and 607 will remain open, but visitors are discouraged from traveling the roads during times of prescribed burn activities. Also, try to avoid camping in the vicinity due to the high potential for smoke.
Smoke will likely be visible from US 550, NM HWY 4, San Ysidro, Jemez Pueblo, Jemez Springs and La Cueva. Smoke may settle into lower elevations and in drainage areas during the evenings, but should lift by mid-morning.
Prescribed burns are one of the most effective tools available to resource managers for restoring fire adapted ecosystems. The prescribed burns mimic natural fires by reducing forest fuels, recycling nutrients and increasing habitat diversity. The Tent Rocks prescribed burn, as it removes dead forest fuels, will also promote forest health.
Prescribed burns are managed with firefighter and public safety as the first priority.
Information on air quality and protecting your health using the 5-3-1 visibility method can be found online at the New Mexico Department of Health’s website at https://nmtracking.org/fire. For information on the HEPA filter loan program, go to https://www.santafefireshed.org/hepa-filter-loan-program/.
For additional information about the Tent Rocks prescribed burn, contact the Jemez Ranger District at (575)829-3535.