New Mexico Prescribed Fire

Fire has always been part of the environment, and one of the most important natural agents of change. Fire plays a vital role in maintaining healthy ecosystems. Native Americans understood this and used fire to hunt game, maintain rangelands, and keep forests healthy.

Prescribed fire is a planned fire. A prescribed fire is one of the most important tools used to reduce wildfire risk to communities, restore habitats, and to achieve land-management objectives. Fire management specialists consider objectives such as public and employee safety, weather, topography, fuels, size, the precise environmental conditions under which it will burn, and conditions under which it may be suppressed.

Prescribed fire is generally less expensive and yields ecological benefits that cannot be achieved by other means, such as mechanical thinning or logging. Prescribed fires restore some of the ecological benefits that were historically gained from naturally occurring fires. There are many potential goals that can be achieved by using prescribed fire. Here are a few examples:

• Reduce surface and ladder fuels that contribute to increased risk of uncharacteristically severe wildfire.
• Reduce risk local communities from wildfire.
• Help protect natural resources such as timber and critical habitat.
• Promote native species and reduce encroachment of invasive species.
• Enhance landscape resiliency and recovery from a wildfire event.
• Improve firefighter ability to safely and effectively respond to and suppress wildfire.

Prescribed Fires by District

All prescribed burns are carefully planned and only carried out when weather, fuel conditions, and air quality are within safe parameters. Firefighters use a combination of natural features and constructed control lines to keep the fire contained, with protocols in place to minimize smoke impacts on nearby communities.

Albuquerque District

No prescribed fires are planned at this time.

Albuquerque District

• Phone: 505-761-8700

Rio Puerco Field Office (includes the El Malpais National Conservation Area)

• Phone: 505-761-8700

Socorro Field Office

• Phone: 575-835-0412

Farmington District

No prescribed fires are planned at this time.

Farmington District

• Phone: 505-564-7600

Taos Field Office (includes the Rio Grande del Norte National Monument)

• Phone: 575-758-8851

Farmington Field Office:

• Phone: 505-564-7600

Las Cruces District

No prescribed fires are planned at this time.

Las Cruces District (includes the Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks National Monument and Dripping Springs Natural Area)

• Phone: 575-525-4300Accordion content.

Pecos District

No prescribed fires are planned at this time.

Pecos District

• Phone: 575-627-0272

Roswell Field Office (includes Fort Stanton-Snowy River Cave National Conservation Area)

• Phone:  575-627-0272

Carlsbad Field Office

• Phone: 575-234-5972