September 22, 2023 
SANTA FE, N.M., Sept. 21, 2023—Pending favorable weather and fuels conditions, fire managers are preparing to conduct the Golondrino and Rincon prescribed fires on the Santa Fe National Forest. The 2,227-acre Golondrino prescribed fire is in the Cuba district east of the communities of Llaves and North of Gallina. The 2,227-acre Rincon prescribed fire is on French Mesa, off Forest Road 8, on the Coyote Ranger District about seven miles north of the community of Gallina.
Ignitions for the Golondrino prescribed fire are anticipated to start Monday, Sept. 25and extend through Wednesday, Sept. 27. Then, operations will shift to the the Rincon prescribed fire, anticipated to start Wednesday, Sept. 27 and continue through Friday, Sept. 29. Agency administrators must approve the day’s plan every 24 hours before ignitions on multi-day projects can continue.
Fire crews are assessing current weather conditions to make determinations on whether they are appropriate for prescribed fire activity. If environmental conditions are not appropriate (temperature, wind, humidity) the prescribed fire will be canceled.
“We appreciated the questions and interactions from community members at our recent public meetings for these prescribed fires,” said Santa Fe National Forest Supervisor Shaun Sanchez. All new prescribed fires planned and implemented on the SFNF, including the Golondrino, and Rincon prescribed fires, will incorporate the guidance in the Forest Service Chief’s National Prescribed Fire Program Review.
Contingency resources will be on-site and able to respond if needed until the burn is declared secure by the burn boss. The burn units will be patrolled until the prescribed fires are declared out, meaning there will be no visible smoke and no heat sources identified using infrared. Weather will continue to be monitored for any weather events that will require more resources. Infrared technology will be utilized via drones or handheld devices to monitor for residual heat not visible to the naked eye to inform our decisions on when the burns are declared secure and out.
Prescribed fires are one of the most effective tools available to resource managers for restoring fire-dependent ecosystems and reducing the risk of high-severity wildfires. Fire managers use prescribed fire to improve forest health, remove hazardous fuels, increase firefighter safety, enhance wildlife habitat, and protect communities and watersheds.
Both the Golondrino, and Rincon fires are part of the Rio Chama Collaborative Forest Landscape Restoration Project (CFLRP) that encompasses 3.8 million acres, spanning federal, state, tribal and private lands in New Mexico and Colorado with the aim of restoring the forested headwaters of the Rio Chama and Rio Grande rivers.
To learn more about what the SFNF is doing differently around prescribed fire, please see the recorded presentation “Changes to the USFS Prescribed Fire Program on the Santa Fe National Forest”, pinned to the top of the U.S. Forest Service – Santa Fe National Forest Facebook page: U.S. Forest Service-Santa Fe National Forest | Santa Fe NM | Facebook
The SFNF manages all prescribed fires in compliance with New Mexico state regulations on air quality and smoke management. Smoke from the Golondrino and Rincon fires may be visible from Lllaves, Gallina, Coyote, Cebolla and Abiquiu and may linger for several days after ignitions are completed.
Plan Ahead
Smoke-sensitive individuals and people with respiratory problems or heart disease are encouraged to take precautionary measures. Information on air quality and protecting your health by using the 5-3-1 visibility method can be found online at the New Mexico Department of Health (NMDOH) Environmental Public Health Tracking (EPHT) website at https://nmtracking.org/fire. People with health concerns can also call NMDOH at 505-827-0006 for additional information. For information on the HEPA filter loan program, go to https://facnm.org/smoke#smokeanchor5.
Fire updates will be posted on the New Mexico Fire Information website and on the Santa Fe National Forest’s Facebook page and Website. For more information, contact the Coyote Ranger District for the Rincon prescribed fire at 575-638-5526 or the Cuba Ranger District for the Golondrino prescribed fire at 575-289-3264
NM Fire Info 
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