Mountainair Ranger District Prepares for Prescribed Fire as early as November 8th

November 5, 2025 by cibolanfng 0 Comments

Favorable weather conditions in place for hazardous fuels reduction work

ALBUQUERQUE, NM – November 5, 2025 – The Cibola National Forest & National Grasslands (NF & NGs) is planning prescribed fire operations as early as Saturday November 8th on the Mountainair Ranger District pending all required approvals. We estimate this work will continue through mid-November as weather conditions allow. We use prescribed fires to help reduce overgrown vegetation to help protect local communities, infrastructure and natural resources from wildfires.

Mountainair Ranger District Prescribed Fire planned for:

  • Espinosa Prescribed Fire: 2,012 Acres of broadcast burning located on the Espinosa-Barranco Wildlife Improvement Project in the Manzano Mountains, approximately 8 miles northwest of the town of Mountainair in the southern half of the Manzano Mountains, in Torrance County, NM. Map attached.
  • Thunderbird-Barranco Prescribed Fire: 972 Acres of broadcast burning located North of the Espinosa Prescribed Fire and south of FSR 275 in the Manzano Mountains, approximately 8 miles northwest of the town of Mountainair in the southern half of the Manzano Mountains, in Torrance County, NM. Map attached.

Smoke may be visible from Mountainair, Punta de Agua, Manzano, Estancia Valley and Southern Manzano subdivisions.

Those areas may be closed to the public for several days for public safety. Watch for warning signs along roads near all prescribed fire areas before and during burns.

Residents may experience smoke during the prescribed burns. For more detailed information about air quality, go to AirNow online or download the app. Smoke is expected to lift during the day, however, cooler overnight temperatures may cause smoke to settle into low-lying areas surrounding the burn location. When driving, slow down and turn on your headlights when you encounter smoke on the road.

We will evaluate weather conditions in the hours before a burn begins. If conditions warrant, scheduled prescribed fire activities may be canceled.

Stay informed about scheduled prescribed fires through InciWeb, New Mexico Fire Information and on the Cibola NF & NGs website, Cibola Facebook and Cibola X sites. We will notify county emergency management officials when burning begins.    

About the Forest Service: The USDA Forest Service has for more than 100 years brought people and communities together to answer the call of conservation. Grounded in world-class science and technology– and rooted in communities–the Forest Service connects people to nature and to each other. The Forest Service cares for shared natural resources in ways that promote lasting economic, ecological, and social vitality. The agency manages 193 million acres of public land, provides assistance to state and private landowners, maintains the largest wildland fire and forestry research organizations in the world. The Forest Service also has either a direct or indirect role in stewardship of about 900 million forested acres within the U.S., of which over 130 million acres are urban forests where most Americans live.

Map of Mountainair Ranger District – Espinosa Prescribed Fire: 2,012 Acres of broadcast burning located on the Espinosa-Barranco Wildlife Improvement Project in the Manzano Mountains, approximately 8 miles northwest of the town of Mountainair in the southern half of the Manzano Mountains, in Torrance County, NM.
Map of Mountainair Ranger District – Thunderbird-Barranco Prescribed Fire: 972 Acres of broadcast burning located North of the Espinosa Prescribed Fire and south of FSR 275 in the Manzano Mountains, approximately 8 miles northwest of the town of Mountainair in the southern half of the Manzano Mountains, in Torrance County, NM.

NM Fire Info

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