Favorable weather conditions in place for hazardous fuels reduction work
Silver City, NM, Sept. 16— Gila National Forest is planning prescribed fire operations this fall, pending all required approvals. We estimate this work to continue through the spring as weather conditions allow. We use prescribed fires to help reduce overgrown vegetation to help protect local communities, infrastructure and natural resources from wildfires.
Prescribed fires planned for the area include:
Reserve Ranger District, SU Community Slash Pit, approximately 4 miles west of Reserve.
Glenwood Ranger District, Sheridan Community Slash Pit, approximately 8 miles southeast of Glenwood, NM.
Silver City Ranger District, Slash Piles at Fort Bayard Administrative Site, approximately 4 miles north of Santa Clara, NM.
Those areas may be closed to the public for several days for public safety. Watch for warning signs along roads near all prescribed fire areas before and during burns.
Residents may experience smoke during the prescribed burns. Go to https://fire.airnow.gov/ to find more detailed information about air quality. When driving, slow down and turn on your headlights when you encounter smoke on the road.
We will evaluate weather conditions in the hours before a burn begins. If conditions warrant, scheduled prescribed fire activities may be canceled.
Stay informed about the scheduled prescribed fires through the forest website, social media channels, and InciWeb, the interagency incident information system. We will notify county emergency management officials when burning begins.
