CIBOLA COUNTY, N.M. – As a heat dome has clamped down across the state in the middle of a severe drought, Cibola National Forest and National Grasslands has implemented stricter restrictions to protect the forests from catching fire. The new restrictions took effect on June 18.
These new fire restrictions go much further than the previous restrictions under Stage I, Cibola NF&NG said that they are being implemented, “To reduce the risk of humancaused wildfires during periods of high fire danger and severe fire weather conditions.”
New restrictions
The new fire restrictions in the Cibola National Forest prohibit:
1. The building and maintaining of campfire and stove fire.
2. Smoking, unless inside a vehicle or building.
3. Using an acetylene torch with an active flame.
4. Using a vehicle off national forest roads and trails unless for the purpose of parking in an area without vegetation or possible fire fuel under the vehicle.
5. Using a tool with a combustible engine, like a chainsaw, between the hours of 10 a.m. and 5 p.m.
6. Fireworks and other combustibles. Fireworks and other incendiary devices are always prohibited in the national forests, but especially as the area approaches the Fourth of July.
Any violation of these prohibitions is a Class B misdemeanor and can be punished with a fine of no more than $5,000 for an individual and up to $10,000 for an organization. Violators can be imprisoned for no more than six months.
There are few exemptions to these prohibitions; those include people with forest service permits, all officers in their capacity to fight fires; residents within the affected area with special use authorizations; people who operate approved generators with spark devices in areas that are cleared of vegetation in a three-by-three area; people using a stove with that is fueled with pressurized liquid petroleum or liquid petroleum gas.
How are these restrictions decided?
Cibola NF&NG establish fire restrictions in an effort to prevent human-caused and natural-caused wildfires. The agencies use several different criteria before setting new restrictions, according to agencies.
The criteria used by Cibola NF&NG include: Current and predicted weather, fuel moisture, fire activity levels and available firefighting resources.
Determining the impact of this criteria to the wellbeing and safety of the forest helps the agencies establish fire restrictions.