Magdalena Ranger District Durfee Bolander Prescribed Fire Update 

Cibola National Forest and National Grasslands – Magdalena Ranger District: Durfee Bolander Units 5 & 6 Prescribed Fire

Cibola National Forest and National Grasslands fire crews completed ignitions on unit 5 today. Crews will continue to secure and control the perimeter.

Tomorrow, pending favorable conditions fire crews plan to continue burn operations on the Durfee Bolander prescribed fire with ignitions on unit 6.

Smoke may be visible for a couple days from the communities of Magdalena, Alamo and Datil.

Ignitions are dependent upon agency administrator approval and conditions within the ranges outlined in the prescribed fire plan. Optimal conditions result in effective smoke ventilation and dispersal and help achieve the desired effects needed to accomplish the burn plan objectives.

Our land management strategy is centered on long-term forest health, including reducing forest fuels and using prescribed fire on the landscape. Prescribed fires are intended to reduce hazardous fuels that have accumulated due to drought, climate change, insects and disease, and decades of fire suppression.

With fire there is smoke, but firefighters take measures to reduce smoke impacts as much as possible. 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. Smoke may settle into drainages and lower elevations at night, but is expected to dissipate by late morning, as daytime temperatures increase. Information on air quality and protecting your health can be found online at the www.airnow.gov/

Forest Service photos taken on April 21, 2024 of Durfee Bolander Prescribed Fire Unit 5