Cottonwood Gulch Prescribed Burn – Update 10/5/23

The burn team has completed ignitions on the Cottonwood Gulch Prescribed Burn south of Thoreau, NM. They have transitioned to containment and patrol, ensuring the safety of nearby communities. Local residents and visitors may continue to be impacted by smoke through the end of the week and into the weekend. This collaborative effort returns fire to over 100 acres of fire adapted ponderosa pine forest in a priority landscape abutting National Forest System lands.

Partners in the burn include Cottonwood Gulch Expeditions, the Forest Stewards Guild, The Nature Conservancy, The Ember Alliance, USFWS – Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program, McKinley County Fire and Rescue, Bluewater Acres Volunteer Fire Department, All Hands All Lands Burn Team, U.S. Forest Service – Mt. Taylor Ranger District, Santa Clara Pueblo, Youth Conservation Corps, and New Mexico Forestry Division.