Bureau of Land Management plans prescribed burn northwest of Roswell
ROSWELL, N.M. – In March, the Bureau of Land Management plans to conduct a prescribed burn operation about 33 miles northwest of Roswell in Chaves County. The operation will take place within an area of 587 acres but will only burn about 25% of the land within that area. The operation is weather dependent and will take one day to complete.
The purpose of the planned operation is to decrease the risk of damage from wildfires and loss to adjacent property, as well as to improve grasses available to wildlife and livestock as a food source. Other goals are to improve watershed and habitat conditions, increase the health, vigor, and competitive ability of the native plant community, and reduce the threat of non-native and native invasive plant species.
Smoke from the burn may be visible from Roswell and other nearby communities. Although smoke should not impact highways, personnel will post signs along roadways to inform motorists about the potential for smoke. The agency reminds motorists to use caution by reducing speed and watching for fire personnel and equipment.
Prior to the prescribed burn, firefighters will conduct a test fire to assess whether the fire behavior will generate the desired results and to ensure they have sufficient resources on site to keep the burn contained. Firefighters determine on-site resource needs before burns by using fire behavior modeling software, following weather and drought patterns, and obtaining site-specific weather forecasts to best predict fire behavior. If the fire behavior is not favorable, or the on-site resources are not adequate, firefighters will postpone the burn. Prior to this, firefighters will also identify available contingency resources for the burn.
Prior to and during all prescribed fires, fire managers coordinate with the New Mexico Environment Department and follow air quality regulations. Those who may have health conditions that make them vulnerable to smoke exposure can get information about smoke and protecting their health at https://nmfireinfo.com/smoke-management/. NMED’s air quality monitoring site at https://aqi.air.env.nm.gov, and www.airnow.gov, are resources for viewing sources of smoke and other factors affecting air quality.
The BLM encourages public land users to continue to be careful with fire. To report a wildfire on public land, please call Alamogordo Interagency Dispatch at 877-695-1663. For more information on this prescribed burn and the BLM fire and hazardous fuels reduction program, please contact BLM Pecos District Fire Management Specialist Dominic Bell at 575-627-0327. Follow the implementation of this project on NMFireInfo.com, or facebook.com/nmfireinfo.
The BLM manages about 245 million acres of public land located primarily in 12 western states, including Alaska, on behalf of the American people. The BLM also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation. Our mission is to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of America’s public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations.