January 9, 2026 
Red Canyon Campground Piles starting as early as January 10
Favorable weather conditions in place for hazardous fuels reduction work
ALBUQUERQUE, NM – January 9, 2026 – The Cibola National Forest & National Grasslands (NF & NGs) is planning to burn the previously announced Red Canyon Campground Prescribed (Rx) Fire Piles on the Mountainair Ranger District as early as Saturday, January 10 pending all required approvals. This work will continue as a multi-day operation as weather conditions allow.
Fire managers are taking advantage of recent precipitation, snow covered ground, cooler temperatures, and relative humidity recoveries that create suitable conditions for burning piled slash and woody debris from earlier forest restoration work. We use prescribed fires to help protect local communities, infrastructure and natural resources from wildfires.
Red Canyon Campground Prescribed Fire Piles planned:
49 acres of piles in the Hazard Tree Mitigation Project located adjacent to Upper Red Canyon Campground in the Manzano Mountains, approximately 12 miles northwest of the town of Mountainair in the southern half of the Manzano Mountains, in Torrance County, NM. Map attached.
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. Smoke may be visible from Mountainair, Punta de Agua, Manzano, or the Estancia Valley.
Residents may experience smoke during 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 in the hours before a burn begins. If conditions warrant, scheduled prescribed fire activities may be canceled.
Stay informed about the scheduled prescribed fire 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.
NM Fire Info 
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