Cibola National Forest National Grasslands Lifts Fire Restrictions on July 6th

Albuquerque, NM – July 6, 2021 – Cibola National Forest and National Grasslands (NF & NGs) will lift all fire restrictions on all districts effective Tuesday, July 6, 2021. With the early arrival of the seasonal summer monsoons, accompanied by higher relative humidity and lower temperatures the fire danger has been reduced within the Cibola NF & NGs districts.

This termination of order (03-0716) lifts previous orders of fire restriction implemented to reduce risk of human-caused wildfire during extreme drought conditions, low fuel moisture levels and high fire danger for:

Stage II Fire Restriction has been lifted from Order 03-0711 for Kiowa Mills Unit

Stage I Fire Restriction has been lifted from Order 03-0713 for Kiowa – Rita Blanca National Grasslands

Stage II Fire Restriction has been lifted from Order 03-0715 for the four Mountain Districts
                                           (Magdalena, Mountainair, Mount Taylor and Sandia Ranger Districts)

Forest managers use several criteria to determine when to lift fire restrictions, including current and predicted weather, fire danger indices, fuel moisture, fire activity levels and available firefighting resources. The National Weather Service is forecasting “abundant monsoon moisture” with a daily pattern of scattered showers and thunderstorms thru July. Please be aware that the active monsoon pattern also raises the risk of flash flooding, particularly in burn scars, arroyos and other low-lying areas.

Although restrictions will be lifted, forest managers urge visitors to continue to use extreme caution around campfires and other potential ignition sources by following campfire safety procedures. Never leave your campsite until the fire is completely extinguished and cold to the touch. Violators of regulations that prohibit abandoning a campfire are subject to a fine and/or imprisonment. If an abandoned campfire causes a wildfire, violators can also be held responsible for fire suppression costs.

Termination of Order (03-0716) will be posted on Cibola NF & NGs website at Alerts & Notices.

Stay up to date on Forest and Grasslands news on the Cibola NF & NGs website, and on Cibola Facebook  & Twitter.

For more information:

Magdalena Ranger District Office: 575-854-2281

Mountainair Ranger District Office: 505-847-2990

Mt. Taylor Ranger District Office: 505-287-8833

Sandia Ranger District Office: 505-281-3304

Black Kettle NGs Ranger District Office: 580-497-2143

Kiowa and Rita Blanca NGs Ranger District Office: 575-374-9652

Cibola National Forest and National Grasslands Supervisor’s Office: 505-346-3900

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