CLOUDCROFT, NM (May 10, 2012) Fire officials on the Sacramento Ranger District will begin burning slash piles in the Cloudcroft area starting the week of May 14, 2012. With the recent moisture received on the District, weather conditions are expected to meet the criteria for prescribed burning.
As part of the Prescribed Fire Plan on the District, slash piles will be burned on approximately 200 acres in Cox Canyon along NM Highway 130, and on approximately 138 acres along NM Highway 244 near Silver Springs. Ignition will occur only when weather conditions permit and other established criteria are being met.
The slash piles that will be burned were generated from logging and thinning projects on the District. Prescribed burns such as these pile burns serve to reduce fuel loads and promote forest health.
The public can expect to see and smell smoke in and around the area, to include James Canyon, Cox Canyon, Pierce Canyon, Sunspot, Cloudcroft, and in the area of NM Highway 244. Smoke and fire activity will be closely monitored by fire officials. Smoke may be visible for several days during and after ignition operations. As always, firefighter and public safety are the top priority.
For additional information about these prescribed burns or the Lincoln National Forest, please contact the Sacramento Ranger District Office at(575) 682-2551, Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. You can also find us at www.fs.usda.gov/lincoln and follow us on Twitter athttp://twitter.com/LincolnUSForest.