Lincoln National Forest Prescribed Fire Near Cora Dutton Schedule for Sept 21, 2021

Fire managers on the Lincoln National Forest will conduct a prescribed burn 4 miles southwest of Capitan, NM near Dutton Ranch beginning tomorrow, September 21, 2021. Firefighters will be burning piles of cut vegetation (aka slash piles) resulting from past thinning activities. Prescribed fires reduce hazardous fuels, improve wildlife habitat, and create healthier, more resilient forest and watershed ecosystems.

Smoke may be visible from Highway 48 and 37.

Firefighters are taking advantage of the abundant monsoonal moisture this year and will be conducting prescribed burns throughout fall and winter.

When and how to conduct prescribed burns depends on multiple conditions, including the regional wildland fire preparedness level and resource availability, fuel moisture levels, air quality and forecasted weather. Prescribed burns are designed to meet specific objectives and are always managed with firefighter and public safety as the first priority.

The Forest Service’s land management strategy is centered on long-term forest health, which 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. As fire seasons become more severe, the need for and efficacy of fuels treatments, including prescribed burning becomes clearer. The National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC) reports that this year to date, the U.S. has had 44,461 wildfires that have burned a total of 5,567,600 acres.