Conditions permitting, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, in conjunction with the Department of Army and the Jornada Experimental Range, will be prescribed burning approximately 30,000 acres containing Piedmont grassland habitats and mixed desert shrub within the San Andres Mountains on the San Andres National Wildlife Refuge from May 22 through May 24, 2003. The burn site is located on San Andres Mountain, Township 18S, Range 4E, and Township 19S, Range 4E, approximately 22 miles northeast of Las Cruces, New Mexico within the boundaries of the White Sands Missile Range managed by the Department of Army. The area is not open to the public.
Fire crews have already conducted blacklining operations around the perimeter of the burn unit and to protect sensitive habitats within the burn unit. Blacklining is done by burning vegetation along the inside edge of the burn unit creating a protective barrier around the entire unit. The blacklining portion of the prescribed burn prescribed burn
A prescribed burn is the controlled use of fire to restore wildlife habitat, reduce wildfire risk, or achieve other habitat management goals. We have been using prescribed burn techniques to improve species habitat since the 1930s.
Learn more about prescribed burn was conducted from April 11 through April 14, 2003.
The main portion of the San Andres Peak prescribed burn is scheduled for the week of May 18, 2003. Ignition will occur in accordance to a Prescribed Burn Plan containing fire behavior and weather prescriptions intended to insure that the fire is safely contained within the burn unit and that smoke generated by the fire bears little impact in sensitive population areas. At times, smoke and flames may be visible to the public, especially at night. A helicopter will be utilized for ignition within the burn unit.
The fire may last several days and will be managed by a large contingency of firefighters from several federal agencies including the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Department of Army, Jornada Experimental Range, U.S. Forest Service, and the Bureau of Land Management.
The burn is expected to restore habitat and increase the quality and quantity of forage for the refuge
