[Volunteers_fosm] Fwd: NEWS RELEASE Cibola National Forest & National Grasslands Announces Prescribed Fire Projects as early as January 26

Fri Jan 23 11:55:00 MST 2026

*Prescribed fires planned as early as January 26:*

*Sandia Ranger District:*

·   David Canyon Prescribed Fire: 285 acres of broadcast burning in the
David Canyon area, in the Manzanita Mountains. David Canyon is located west
of Hwy 337 and West of the Mars Court trailhead. Smoke may be visible from
Albuquerque, Tijeras, Edgewood and Moriarty, NM.

·   Cedro Unit Prescribed Pile Burn: 15 acres of piles within the Cedro
unit in the Sandia Piles Rx plan. The pile burn area is in the Manzanita
Mountains. Cedro is located south FSRD 462, east of HWY 337. Smoke may be
visible from Albuquerque, Tijeras, Edgewood and Moriarty, NM.

---------- Forwarded message ---------
From: FS-Cibola PAO <SM.FS.CibolaPAO at usda.gov>
Date: Fri, Jan 23, 2026 at 11:32 AM
Subject: NEWS RELEASE Cibola National Forest & National Grasslands
Announces Prescribed Fire Projects as early as January 26
To:

*NEWS RELEASE*

[image: Forest Service Shield]

*Cibola National Forest and National Grasslands*

2113 Osuna Road NE

Albuquerque, NM 87113

(505) 346-3900

www.fs.usda.gov/r03/cibola

www.facebook.com/cibolanf

https://x.com/cibola_nf

*Cibola National Forest & National Grasslands Announces Prescribed Fire
Projects*

*Favorable weather conditions must be in place for hazardous fuels
reduction work*

*ALBUQUERQUE, NM – January 23, 2026 *– The Cibola National Forest and
National Grasslands are preparing to strategically implement multiple
prescribed fires in the coming weeks across the forest and grasslands. *See
attached maps.*

We estimate this work to continue through the remaining winter months into
spring as weather conditions allow. Prescribed (Rx) fire helps reduce
overgrown vegetation to protect local communities, infrastructure and
natural resources from catastrophic wildfires.

Numerous projects are anticipated; however the exact days of ignitions will
depend on wind, weather, fuel moisture conditions and required approvals.

*Prescribed fires planned as early as January 26:*

*Magdalena Ranger District:*

·   Hop Patterson Prescribed Fire: 704 acres of broadcast and pile burning
units located 3 miles south of Magdalena and adjacent to the communities of
Hop and Patterson Canyon. Smoke may be visible from Magdalena and Alamo. *See
Map attached.*

*Mountainair Ranger District:*

·   Pueblo Colorado Prescribed Pile Fire Unit 2. Up to 300 acres of piles
in the Coordinated Resource Management Project in the Gallinas Mountains in
Torrance County, NM. Located Southeast of Willard and 15 miles Northwest of
Corona, NM. Smoke may be visible from Willard, Cedarvale, Corona or within
the Estancia Valley. *See Map attached.*

*Prescribed fires planned through winter into spring include:*

*Mt Taylor Ranger District:*

·   Monighan RX Fire: 3,907 acres broadcast burning on the Bluewater
Project is approximately 27 miles west of Grants and 13 miles Southeast of
Ft. Wingate NM within Zuni Mountains of Cibola National Forest. Smoke may
be visible in the surrounding area of Ramah, Gallup, Thoreau, Bluewater,
Grants and Millan.

·   Black Mesa RX Fire: 11,506 acres broadcast burning on the Black Mesa
Wildlife Habitat Improvement Project 20 miles North of Grants, NM in
Mckinley, and Sandoval Counties of Cibola National Forest. Smoke may be
visible in the surrounding area of the surrounding areas of Grants,
Albuquerque, Cuba, Jemez, NM 550, and possible I-40.

·   McGaffey and McQue Flats Rx (1,665 Acres) broadcast burning on the
Bluewater Project is approximately 63 miles from Grants and 13 miles
Southeast of Ft. Wingate NM within Zuni Mountains of Cibola National
Forest. Smoke may be visible in the surrounding area of Ramah, Gallup,
Thoreau, Bluewater, Grants and Millan.

*Magdalena Ranger District:*

·   Ranch Supply Rx Fire: 2,890 acres of broadcast burning in the vicinity
of Old Canyon, Ranch Supply Canyons, Point of Rocks Canyon and along FSR
220. Smoke may be visible from Magdalena, Alamo, and Datil, NM.

·   Durfee Bolander Rx Fire: 1,235 acres of broadcast burning in the
vicinity of Bolander Canyon along both sides of FSR 220 near the junction
of FSR 220 and FSR 549. Smoke may be visible from Magdalena, Alamo, and
Datil, NM.

*Mountainair Ranger District:*

·   Espinosa Prescribed Fire: 2,012 Acres of broadcast burning located on
the Espinosa-Barranco Wildlife Improvement Project in the Manzano
Mountains, approximately 8 miles northwest of the town of Mountainair in
the southern half of the Manzano Mountains, in Torrance County, NM. Smoke
may be visible from Mountainair, Punta de Agua, Manzano, and the Estancia
Valley.

·   Thunderbird-Barranco Prescribed Fire: 972 Acres of broadcast burning
located North of the Espinosa Prescribed Fire and south of FSR 275 in the
Manzano Mountains, approximately 8 miles northwest of the town of
Mountainair in the southern half of the Manzano Mountains, in Torrance
County, NM. Smoke may be visible from Mountainair, Punta de Agua, Manzano,
and the Estancia Valley.

*Sandia Ranger District:*

·   David Canyon Prescribed Fire: 285 acres of broadcast burning in the
David Canyon area, in the Manzanita Mountains. David Canyon is located west
of Hwy 337 and West of the Mars Court trailhead. Smoke may be visible from
Albuquerque, Tijeras, Edgewood and Moriarty, NM.

·   Cedro Unit Prescribed Pile Burn: 15 acres of piles within the Cedro
unit in the Sandia Piles Rx plan. The pile burn area is in the Manzanita
Mountains. Cedro is located south FSRD 462, east of HWY 337. Smoke may be
visible from Albuquerque, Tijeras, Edgewood and Moriarty, NM.

*Kiowa & Rita Blanca National Grasslands:  *

·   3,000 acres of multiple units of prescribed fire broadcast burning
across the district. Smoke may be visible from Clayton, Roy, Springer NM
and Felt, OK.

*Black Kettle & McClellan National Grasslands:*

·   3,000 acres of multiple units of prescribed fire broadcast burning
across the district. Smoke may be visible from Roger Mills County, OK.

These areas may close during project implementation 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/ for more detailed information about air quality.
When driving, slow down and turn on your headlights when you encounter
smoke on the road.

Stay informed about scheduled prescribed fires through InciWeb
<https://inciweb.wildfire.gov/>, New Mexico Fire Information
<https://nmfireinfo.com/> and on the Cibola NF & NGs website
<https://www.fs.usda.gov/r03/cibola/recreation>, Cibola Facebook
<https://www.facebook.com/cibolanf> and Cibola X <https://x.com/cibola_nf>
sites. We will notify county emergency management officials when burning
begins.

About the Forest Service: The USDA Forest Service has for more than 100
years brought people and communities together to answer the call of
conservation. Grounded in world-class science and technology– and rooted in
communities–the Forest Service connects people to nature and to each other.
The Forest Service cares for shared natural resources in ways that promote
lasting economic, ecological, and social vitality. The agency manages 193
million acres of public land, provides assistance to state and private
landowners, maintains the largest wildland fire and forestry research
organizations in the world. The Forest Service also has either a direct or
indirect role in stewardship of about 900 million forested acres within the
U.S., of which over 130 million acres are urban forests where most
Americans live.

This electronic message contains information generated by the USDA solely
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or the use or disclosure of the information it contains may violate the law
and subject the violator to civil or criminal penalties. If you believe you
have received this message in error, please notify the sender and delete
the email immediately.
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