U.S. Wildland Fire Service Plans Prescribed Burns in Las Cruces District

LAS CRUCES, N.M. — The U.S. Wildland Fire Service plans to burn piles of juniper, piñon, oak and ponderosa pine slash near Las Cruces in Doña Ana County and vegetation and undergrowth in a broadcast burn across the Pinos Altos area of Grant County. Weather permitting, the burns will take place between Sept. 1 - Oct. 31, 2026. Notices will be posted in nearby communities prior to each prescribed burn event.

These burns will remove material from thinning projects to help reduce wildfire risk, improve ecosystem health, enhance wildlife habitat, and protect local communities from wildfire. The Pinos Altos Broadcast Burn and Ice Canyon Piles Burn are cooperative efforts with local communities to provide fuel reduction treatments on Bureau of Land Management lands to reduce wildfire threats to both private and public lands.

WFS fire personnel will coordinate with the Pinos Altos Volunteer Fire Department, adjacent landowners, range allotment permittees and others prior to igniting the broadcast burn.

Prescribed Burn Locations

• Pinos Altos Broadcast Burn: 205 acres, located about a quarter-mile north of Pinos Altos, adjacent roads to Bear Creek Road and NM Highway 15 to the east. Smoke may be visible from Highways 15 and 180, and from Pinos Altos, Silver City and the Mimbres Valley.
• Ice Canyon Pile Burn: 10 acres, located approximately 10 miles east of Las Cruces, N.M., and about two miles south of Organ, N.M. Smoke may be visible from Baylor Canyon Road, Dripping Springs Road, and the communities of Las Cruces and Organ.

Active ignition at each location will take one to three days, with some smoke potentially visible in the burn areas for up to one week after ignition operations are completed. Site-specific weather forecasts will be requested and obtained from the National Weather Service prior to ignition to ensure each burn is conducted within pre-identified parameters and to help minimize fire and smoke impacts to the public. Fire personnel will monitor each site for heat and smoke and ensure the perimeter is secure. Once smoke and heat are no longer present, the prescribed fire will be declared out.

For added public safety, prescribed fire signs will be posted on Highway 15, county roads near the burn locations, the town of Pinos Altos, and near the Dripping Springs Recreation Area. Motorists should be aware that smoke from the fires could briefly reduce visibility on Highway 15. Caution is also advised when driving in the area due to the presence of fire personnel and equipment along roadways.

Prior to and during all prescribed fires, fire managers coordinate with the New Mexico Environment Department and follow all 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.

For questions about these projects, please contact the BLM Las Cruces District Office at 575-525-4300. For more information about this and other prescribed burn operations, as well as wildland fire updates, visit NMFireInfo.com or follow us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/nmfireinfo or https://www.facebook.com/BLMLasCruces.