GRANTS, NM – Until May 19, the Bureau of Land Management will be conducting a prescribed fire at the Chain of Craters. The prescribed fire will be around 35 miles southwest of Grants within Cibola County, south of State Highway 53 and to the west of County Road 42.
Their goal is to reduce dense and hazardous accumulations of vegetation that can contribute to the intensity of any wildfires that could start or move through the area. The area of the prescribed burn is approximately 2500 acres and will be carried out in phases. Fire managers estimate that this will take five to seven days. Smoke could be visible during and after the burn operations from State Highway 53 and 117. In order to notify the public of the burn taking place, signs will be posted along County Road 42 and at the Continental Divide Trailhead.
The BLM will continue to monitor the area after the prescribed burn in order to ensure that the fire stays within the planned area. Over the last several years, the BLM has treated over 20,000 acres in the Chain of Craters with the use of prescribed fires and thinning. Fire managers develop burn plans for each prescribed fire to ensure that they meet land management objectives and that the fires can be safely managed. Weather will be a determining factor for their plans as well. If weather changes and conditions move outside of predetermined parameters, the operation will be conducted on a different day when they improve.
Though smoke exposure is still a risk, the fire managers coordinate with the New Mexico Environment Department and follow all air quality regulations. For more information about risks and protecting your health, please visit https://nmfireinfo. com/smoke-management/. For questions about this project, contact the BLM Rio Puerco Field Office at (505) 7618700. For more details about the implementation of the project, visit NMFireInfo. com; Twitter @nmfireinfo, or facebook. com/nmfireinfo.