Baca Prescribed Burn Scheduled for the Week of April 12, 2021

RUIDOSO, NM - Apr. 9, 2021 — The Smokey Bear Ranger District on the Lincoln National Forest plans to conduct a prescribed burn near Baca Campground starting Monday, April 12, 2021, as conditions allow.

The prescribed fire located south of Forest Service Road 57 and southwest of Baca Campground will remove an accumulation of woody debris on the forest floor which can contribute to high-intensity wildfire. Fire crews will be on scene from the beginning of ignitions until there is no longer a threat of escape from the project boundaries.

Prescribed burning provides many benefits and is essential to maintaining healthy forest ecosystems. It provides habitat diversity, recycles plant nutrients into the soil, and encourages new growth for various plants which improves forage for animals. Prescribed burning also reduces the threat of large-scale wildfire impacts by removing excess wood on the forest floor and removes ladder fuels which can cause wildfires to climb to the tops of trees and spread.

Smoke may be visible along Rd 57, Rd C0002 and possibly from Lincoln, NM, along Hwy 380. Although smoke from prescribed fire can be a nuisance, it is usually for a shorter time and considerably less smoke than wildfires produce.