Santa Fe National Forest prepares for pile burns

Favorable weather conditions in place for hazardous fuels reduction work

The Santa Fe National Forest is planning prescribed fire pile burns, pending all required approvals. We estimate this work to continue through the winter as weather conditions allow. Pile burning is meant to treat slash, like branches, piled by thinning crews with the aim of reducing flammable fuels. The decision to proceed with each pile burn will depend on multiple factors, including snowpack, air quality, ventilation, forecast weather and wind, and resource availability. We use prescribed fire to help reduce overgrown vegetation to help protect local communities, infrastructure and natural resources from wildfires. 

Prescribed pile burns planned on the Santa Fe National Forest include: 

Española Ranger District 

• Hyde Park North Ridge Piles: 42 acres located north of Black Canyon Campground.  

• Thompson Ridge Piles: 146 acres located in Santa Fe, N.M. near McClure Reservoir.  

• Tesuque Piles: 485 acres located north of Santa Fe, N.M.  

Jemez Ranger District 

• San Diego Egress Piles: 17 acres located north of the village of Jemez Springs, N.M.  

• Horseshoe Piles: 239 acres located near La Cueva north of the village of Jemez Springs, N.M.  

• Paliza South Landing Piles: 412 acres located south of the village of Jemez Springs, N.M.  

• Thompson Ridge Burn Pit: 1 acre located near the community of Thompson Ridge. Operations aim to burn slash generated by the community during defensible space cleanup. 

Cuba Ranger District 

• American Park Hand Piles: 28 acres located near the Palomas and Wetherill Estates east of Cuba, N.M.  

• Rock Creek Landing Piles: 208 acres located east of Cuba, N.M.  

• Tusas West Unit Piles: 224 acres located near the Rancho de Chaparral Girl Scout Camp near Cuba, N.M.  

Areas may close 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. When driving, slow down and turn on your headlights when you encounter smoke on the road. 

We will evaluate weather conditions and snowpack before a pile burn begins. If conditions warrant, scheduled prescribed fire activities may be canceled. 

Stay informed about the scheduled prescribed fires through the forest website, social media channels, and InciWeb, the interagency incident information system. 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. 

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