Prescribed Burn Planned on Santa Fe National Forest
Jemez Ranger District
SANTA FE, NM – September 28, 2015 – For Immediate Release. Fire managers on the Santa Fe National Forest are planning to conduct a prescribed burn on the south end of the Paliza treatment area within the boundaries of the Southwest Jemez Mountains Collaborative Forest Landscape Restoration Project on the Jemez Ranger District.
The window for the Paliza prescribed burn will open October 12 and extend through October 31, 2015. The decision to burn will be dependent on favorable conditions, including fuel moisture levels, air quality, weather forecasts and available resources.
The 6,108-acre Paliza treatment area is located between Forest Road (FR) 137 and FR 266 approximately 5 miles southeast of Jemez Springs and 3 miles northeast of Ponderosa, NM. The South Paliza prescribed burn includes 3,481 acres on the Santa Fe National Forest and 2,627 acres on Jemez Pueblo lands. Crews will use hand and aerial ignitions.
Smoke from the Paliza prescribed burn will be monitored to ensure it meets the requirements of the New Mexico Environment Department Air Quality Bureau’s smoke management program. Smoke may be visible from Ponderosa, Jemez Springs, Jemez Pueblo, Cochiti Pueblo, San Ysidro, Bernalillo, Albuquerque, and surrounding communities as well as Interstate 25 and Highway 550. It is likely to settle into low elevations and drainages at night.