Magdalena Ranger District to Implement Corn Canyon Unit 2B Prescribed Fire

Albuquerque, NM – May 17, 2021 – If conditions remain favorable, fire managers on the Cibola National Forest & National Grasslands (NF & NGs) may implement the Corn Canyon Unit 2B prescribed burn on in the southern San Mateo mountains on the Magdalena Ranger District as early as Tues, May 18^th through May 31^st.

The decision to proceed continues to depend on multiple factors, including resource availability, fuel moisture levels, air quality, ventilation, and forecasted weather and winds.

The plan is to burn 1805 acres on Unit 2B in the vicinity of Nogal and Chaunte Canyons, along and South of FSR 225.

Fire managers consider smoke impacts to communities before making a final decision to implement a prescribed fire. Smoke may be visible from the communities of Socorro, San Antonio, Elephant Butte, Monticello and Truth or Consequences. Area map references included.

With fire there is smoke, but compared to wildfires, prescribed fires are shorter in duration and are conducted under weather conditions to minimize the impact of smoke on the public. Fire crews use tactics such as starting early in the day and ending ignitions early in the afternoon to allow for the most ventilation possible throughout the burn and dividing blocks into smaller units to minimize smoke impacts as much as possible. However, smoke may be visible periodically from local communities and the surrounding areas for the duration of the project until the burning vegetation is out. 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.

Our land management strategy is centered on long-term forest health and that strategy 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 this 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. 

The Forest Service mission is to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of the Nation’s forests and grasslands to meet the needs of present and future generations.

All fire updates will be posted on the Cibola NF & NGs website, New Mexico Fire Information website and on the Cibola Facebook  & Twitter pages.

For more information on the Corn Canyon Unit 2B RX Burn, contact:
Magdalena Ranger District Office: 575.854.2281 or
Cibola National Forest and National Grasslands Supervisor’s Office: 505.346.3900