Crews complete 412-acre Paliza South prescribed fire

Patrol and monitoring will continue through the weekend in the
Jemez Ranger District

Over two days of ignition operations, fire crews successfully completed the 412-acre Paliza South Prescribed Fire.

The project is located approximately 4.5 miles northeast of the village of Ponderosa N.M., off National Forest System Roads 266 and 137. The work is part of the broader Southwest Jemez Mountains Collaborative Forest Landscape Restoration Project.

Crews will patrol and monitor the prescribed fire Thursday through the weekend. Firefighters will also “bone pile,” an operational term for consolidating remaining woody material and burning debris into compact piles so the material can burn more completely in a controlled area. Crews then monitor the piles and address residual heat as part of mop-up operations.

Rain is anticipated to begin Thursday. Although precipitation can help moderate fire activity, crews will continue monitoring the unit in accordance with the prescribed fire patrol plan.

“This project demonstrates what active forest management looks like on the ground,” Jemez District Ranger Jeremy Golston said. “By combining mechanical thinning with prescribed fire, we are reducing hazardous fuels, improving forest health and helping the landscape become more resilient to future wildfire. We appreciate the support of the surrounding communities, as well as the continued coordination with the Pueblo of Jemez that helped make this work possible.”

The Paliza South project builds on earlier mechanical treatments that thinned dense ponderosa pine stands and removed excess vegetation. Merchantable timber from those treatments was made available through commercial deck sales, while fuelwood was made available for public use. The prescribed fire treated remaining surface fuels and residual slash from timber harvesting operations, helping restore healthier forest conditions and reduce the risk of uncharacteristic wildfire.

Smoke may remain visible from Ponderosa, Jemez Springs, the pueblos of Jemez and Zia, San Ysidro and surrounding areas. Smoke may settle into low-lying areas overnight and could reduce visibility on nearby roads. Drivers should slow down, turn on headlights and use caution if they encounter smoke.

Firefighters will remain in the area during patrol and monitoring activities. Members of the public should not report smoke from the prescribed fire unless they observe activity outside the project area or an immediate threat to public safety.

For current air quality and smoke information, visit AirNow’s Fire and Smoke Map. Updates about prescribed fire activity are available on Inciweb, the Santa Fe National Forest website at https://www.fs.usda.gov/r03/santafe/fire/prescribed-fire, Facebook and X.

About the Forest Service: The Forest Service has brought people and communities together to answer the call of conservation for more than 100 years. Grounded in world-class science and technology — and rooted in communities — the Forest Service connects people to nature and recreation opportunities. The agency manages 193 million acres of public land, supports the nation’s forest industry and energy needs, and operates the largest and most respected wildland fire and forestry research organizations in the world. By providing assistance to state and private landowners and working with tribes and other partners, the Forest Service also helps steward an additional 900 million forested acres within the U.S.