Magdalena Ranger District Prepares for Prescribed Fire Piles Next Week

Hop Patterson Prescribed Fire Piles as early as Tuesday, December 2

Favorable weather conditions in place for hazardous fuels reduction work

ALBUQUERQUE, NM – November 26, 2025 – The Cibola National Forest & National Grasslands (NF & NGs) is planning prescribed fire operations on the Hop Patterson Prescribed (Rx) Fire Piles on the Magdalena Ranger District as early as Tuesday, December 2 pending all required approvals. This work will continue as a multi-day operation as weather conditions allow. We use prescribed fires to help protect local communities, infrastructure and natural resources from wildfires.

Magdalena Ranger District Prescribed Fire planned for:

• Hop Patterson Prescribed Fire Piles: 704 acres of pile burning units located 3 miles south of Magdalena and adjacent to the communities of Hop and Patterson Canyon within the Magdalena Mountains, NM. Map attached.

Smoke may be visible from Alamo and Magdalena, NM.

This area 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 burn. 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.