GRANTS, N.M. — Light to moderate smoke was visible over parts of El Malpais National Monument and the Grants–Milan area Tuesday morning, Oct. 28, as the National Park Service proceeded with a planned prescribed fire on the monument’s north side.
The Cerritos Gap project, located off NM 53 near mile marker 63, is authorized for ignition anytime through Oct. 31, with two to four days of active burning expected depending on weather and fuel conditions.
According to the Park Service, the 300-acre treatment is designed to reduce built-up vegetation in ponderosa pine and pinyon-juniper stands, restoring the ecosystem’s natural, low-intensity fire cycle and lowering the risk of high-severity wildfire. Smoke tends to build during the warmest part of the day and can settle into low spots after sunset; flames may be visible as crews consume larger dead and downed fuels. In the days following ignition, some trees may show brown or red needles on lower branches — a normal “scorching” effect that drops off and helps raise canopy height, reducing ladder fuels.
Although the federal government remains in a lapse of appropriations, NPS officials told the Citizen this prescribed burn is funded under the Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act, which allows the use of retained fee revenues for critical functions that protect life, property, and public health.
Visitor access, law enforcement and emergency response remain in place during the shutdown.
Public health officials advise sensitive groups — including children, older adults, and people with heart or lung disease — to limit strenuous outdoor activity when smoke is present. Drivers along NM 53 should slow down, increase following distance, and use headlights in smoky stretches. Real-time conditions are available at fire.airnow.gov.
The burn comes amid persistent dryness across Cibola County.
As of Oct. 28, the U.S. Drought Monitor classifies 100% of the county in drought, with 30.44% in Moderate (D1), 56.19% in Severe (D2), and 13.37% in Extreme (D3). Most locations recorded little to no measurable rainfall for the week ending Oct. 20, while daytime highs in the 70s to low 80s contributed to continued surface drying. Water gauges reflect that backdrop: Bluewater Lake held 4,787 acre-feet on Oct. 27, continuing a steady late-season decline, and the Rio San Jose remained near 1.91 feet, a stable but subdued flow.
Ignitions at Cerritos Gap will occur only when humidity, wind, and fuel moisture meet plan specifications, according to NPS.
The Citizen will post updates when burn operations are active. General information on the prescribed fire is available at nps.gov/subjects/fire.