CIBOLA COUNTY, N.M. – Recent rainfall is bringing a shift in fire conditions across western New Mexico, with state fire restrictions being lifted and the Cibola National Forest preparing several prescribed burns for the fall and winter.
The Cibola National Forest and National Grasslands announced Sept. 24 that prescribed fire projects are planned as weather and fuel conditions allow. Forest officials said the burns are intended to reduce hazardous fuels, lower wildfire risk, improve wildlife habitat and watershed health, and restore fire-adapted ecosystems.
On the Mount Taylor Ranger District, three projects are planned in the Zuni Mountains:
• Monighan prescribed fire: up to 3,907 acres on the Bluewater Project, about 27 miles west of Grants and 13 miles southeast of Fort Wingate.
• McGaffey and Quaking Aspen prescribed fire: about 113 acres south of Fort Wingate.
• McGaffey and McQue Flats prescribed fire: up to 1,665 acres on the Puerco Project, about 63 miles from Grants and 13 miles southeast of Fort Wingate.
Smoke from the projects may be visible from Grants, Milan, Bluewater, Ramah, Gallup and Thoreau, depending on conditions.
Exact ignition dates have not been set. The Forest Service said each project will depend on wind, weather, fuel moisture and required approvals, and burns may be postponed or canceled if conditions are not favorable.
The planning comes as the New Mexico state forester rescinds statewide fire restrictions following a wetter September. State officials said New Mexico had received 236% of average September rainfall since Sept. 1, although year-todate precipitation remains below average.
Despite the recent moisture, officials continue to urge caution. More than 1,700 wildfires have burned more than 189,000 acres statewide since Jan. 1, according to the state Forestry Division. About 70% of this year’s wildfires were human-caused, with common causes including equipment use, debris burning and improper disposal of hot ashes.
Locally, the Candy Kitchen Volunteer Fire Department said Cibola County has temporarily lifted its countywide burn ban, while Candy Kitchen remained under a local ban pending additional moisture. The department said it expects that restriction may be lifted soon, after which burn permits would again be issued on a limited basis.
The combination of easing restrictions and upcoming prescribed burns marks a transition from summer wildfire response into fall fuel-reduction work, but agencies continue to stress that fire prevention remains important even after recent rains.