Prescribed Burns planned for Smokey Bear Ranger District

Burns are part of the overall forest management strategy for Lincoln National Forest

Map: Cedar Creek Prescribed Burn Project Area

April 4, 2024—The Smokey Bear Ranger District on the Lincoln National Forest will conduct prescribed burns in the Cedar Creek Prescribed Burn Project Area from April 9 to 19, 2024.

The upcoming prescribed burns will focus on approximately 87 acres within the 730-acre Cedar Creek Prescribed Burn Project Area. This project will allow crews to clear fuel buildup and is an important part of the fire mitigation strategy on the Lincoln National Forest. Exact ignition dates depend upon agency administrator approval and assessment of current conditions leading up to starting the prescribed burn. Short-notice cancellations will occur if conditions are not optimal.

Smoke will be visible in and around Ruidoso. The project area will also affect the following trails: Fitness Trail (T90), Lower Cedar Creek Trail (120A), and Trails 120B, 120C, and 120D. The Sam Tobias Day use area will also be affected by operations.

Residents and visitors are encouraged to be mindful of signage in the area, and smoky conditions on trails and roadways.

Prescribed burns are intended to reduce hazardous fuel loads that have built up after decades of fire suppression, thereby reducing wildfire risk and restoring fire-adapted ecosystems. Conducting prescribed burns in urban-interface areas is an essential part of maintaining forest health and working to keep the communities surrounding Forest lands safe.

As urban interface continues to grow in and around forest landscapes, it is important to understand the importance of proactive forest management strategies, which not only restore forest health and ecosystems but help protect communities and buildings in the area by mitigating wildfire risk factors.

For more updates and information, please visit the Lincoln National Forest website at www.fs.usda.gov/lincoln.