Prescribed burns planned for Lincoln National Forest in the Smokey Bear Ranger District
Three prescribed burns are planned for the Smokey Bear Ranger District in the Lincoln National Forest this week.
Two burns will begin on Thursday, Aug. 3. The first burn will cover a 90-acre area of Lincoln National Forest. The burn will be on the Brazel Push, an area located between Ruidoso and Capitan.
A second burn will take place on 250 acres of Jack’s Peak near Ancho, and the Smokey Bear Administration site in Ruidoso.
The remainder of the prescribed burns will be announced throughout the week as weather conditions allow, read a news release from the Lincoln National Forest.
More on burns and fires in New Mexico:
Dave Bales, fire staff officer for Lincoln National Forest, said the area will be watched closely during and after the prescribed burns.
“A final assessment of conditions will be made the morning of a scheduled prescribed burn to determine if we are moving forward with the plan,” Bales said.
According to a news release from the Lincoln National Forest, “land management strategy is centered on long-term forest health, including reducing forest fuels and using prescribed fire on the landscape.”
“The recent moisture in the Smokey Bear District, and favorable conditions have given a good opportunity to go forward with our ongoing prescribed burn project,” Bales said. “We want to take advantage of favorable weather opportunities and conditions to move forward with our overall plan to clear debris and fuels from the forest and help lower the threat of a wildfire.”
Some of the last prescribed burns such as the ones that were planned in May 2023, were postponed due to weather implications like humidity and high heat.
More: USDA postpones prescribed burn in Lincoln County
The days leading up to prescribed burns will have low heat and temperatures below 90 degrees, but Lincoln National Forest officials advised that it can change.
Thursday should be sunny with a high of 85 degrees, for the day with a chance of thunderstorms, according to the National Weather Service.
Lincoln National Forest official said in the news release residents and visitor in the areas, including in Corona, New Mexico should expect to see some smoke throughout the days of the prescribed burns.
Fire crews and Forest officials will be in the area during and after prescribed burns to monitor the burns and reduce any chances of spread from the fire.
For more information on the prescribed burns, you can visit the Lincoln National Forest website at www.fs.usda.gov/lincoln.
Juan Corral can be reached at JCorral@gannett.com or on twitter at @Juan36Corr.
This article originally appeared on Alamogordo Daily News: Prescribed burns planned for Lincoln National Forest
