Santa Fe National Forest

Jemez and Cuba Ranger District Road Update Great news for spring adventurers! The following roads will open Friday: facebook.com/share/p/1B7meP…

NACIMIENTO WILDFIRE FINAL UPDATE Wildfire is now 100% contained This will be the final update provided for the Nacimiento Wildfire Location: The wildfire is in the Cuba Ranger District, south of New Mexico State Road 126 and the Nacimiento Mine Start Date: March 22, 2026 Size: 18 acres Containment: 100 % Cause: Under investigation Vegetation: Burning in oak, ponderosa pine, pinyon-juniper, and Douglas fir. Resources: 60 personnel Highlights: Fire crews remain actively engaged using a direct extinguishment strategy on the 18-acre wildfire. On Sunday, firefighters, supported by large airtankers dropping retardant, were able to stop the fire’s forward progress. Handlines, along with Forest Service Roads 533L and 533LD, served as key containment features, and all containment lines held the last two nights. Resources remain on scene today conducting mop up operations. This means crews are extinguishing or removing burning material along the east and west flanks near the containment lines. Firefighters are also reinforcing roads and constructed handline along the northern perimeter, tying these sections into existing Forest Service roads to further strengthen containment. Smoke: Smoke may be visible from Cuba, N.M. and surrounding communities, and NM State Road 126. For more information visit the SFNF website fs.usda.gov/r03/santafe/ne…

NACIMIENTO WILDFIRE DAILY UPDATE March 23, 2026 Size: 18 acres Location: Cuba Ranger District, south of NM State Road 126 and the Nacimiento Mine Containment: 0% Personnel: 60 including SFNF Engines 621 and 623, Carson NF Engine 641, Bernalillo Engine 63, Smokey Bear Hotshots, Mimbres Type 2 initial attack crew, district leadership, Cuba volunteer fire departments, and Sandoval County Sheriff. Cause: Under investigation Vegetation: Burning in ponderosa pine, oak, pinyon-juniper, and fir. Highlights: Firefighters built hand line around the fire perimeter and all lines held overnight. On Sunday, Aerial resources, including a large air tanker, were able to stop forward progression of the fire. Today, favorable weather conditions for the area are expected to aid firefighters in securing containment lines. Smoke is visible from Cuba, N.M., surrounding communities, and along State Road 126. At this time, there are no evacuations or threats to people and property. Updates will be provided daily on social media, inciweb, NM Fire Info, and the SFNF website.

WILDFIRE ALERT - NACIMIENTO WILDFIRE Firefighters are responding to a 10-acre wildfire on the Cuba Ranger District, south of the Nacimiento Mine and south of NM State Road 126. Smoke may be visible from Cuba and surrounding communities. Multiple resources are on scene and firefighters are actively engaged in a direct extinguishment strategy. We will share updates on social media as more information becomes available.

WILDFIRE ALERT - SAN JUAN WILDFIRE Fire crews are actively responding to a wildfire located in the Jemez Ranger District, northeast of the Cerro del Pino Mountains. The San Juan Wildfire is approximately 8 acres and is being fully suppressed by fire resources on the ground. Currently, the fire poses no risk to people or property and is 80% contained. Firefighters on scene have reported a downed power line but the cause is under investigation. No further updates will be provided unless fire behavior significantly changes. With recent drying due to higher than average temperatures and lack of snowmelt, fire danger is expected to increase on the forest this week and moving forward.

OFFICE ANNOUNCEMENT The Las Vegas Ranger Station will be CLOSED today, March 13. Regular business hours will resume Monday March 16, 2026. To contact our offices, visit: fs.usda.gov/r03/santafe/of… We hope everyone has a safe and enjoyable weekend!

Spend your summer outdoors with us! We are hiring seasonal positions on the Santa Fe National Forest. We are looking for people right here in our local community. If you love the outdoors, enjoy helping visitors, or want hands-on experience in forest management, a seasonal job could be a great fit. Positions include recreation, trails, maintenance, visitor services and more. Apply through USAJOBS.gov from February 20 through March 3, and find additional details on what positions are available on the forest at fs.usda.gov/r03/santafe/wo… Need help applying? The Santa Fe National Forest will host two webinars to guide applicants through the application process. 🖊️February 25, 2026, from 11:00 am to 12:00 pm 🖊️February 25, 2026, from 6:00 pm to 7:00 pm Meeting link available on the SFNF website fs.usda.gov/r03/santafe/wo…

SANTA FE NATIONAL FOREST PLANS BLANCO PRESCRIBED FIRE The Santa Fe National Forest is planning prescribed fire operations in the Española Ranger District as early as February 23, 2026, pending all required approvals. The Blanco prescribed fire is a 750-acre broadcast burn located off Forest Road 144 west of Clara Peak and north of Santa Clara Pueblo. Fire managers will look for opportunities to implement this burn from February 18 to March 15, as weather conditions allow. A broadcast burn is when fire is applied across a defined area or boundary to reduce overgrown vegetation to help protect local communities, infrastructure and natural resources from wildfires. This is a maintenance burn, which refers to a low to moderate intensity prescribed fire conducted to keep surface fuels reduced and continue to build a fire resilient ecosystem. Fire managers will use hand and aerial ignitions, including a drone (UAS), over 4 days as weather conditions allow. The project area will be broken into smaller units to allow fire managers to burn smaller sections at a time. During the burn, a drone with infrared heat-detection capability will detect pockets of heat near containment lines, both during and after ignitions. Smoke will be visible from Española, Los Alamos, and Santa Fe and surrounding communities off U.S. Route 84 including Chili, Hernandez, and Abiquiu. We will evaluate weather conditions in the hours before a burn begins. If conditions warrant, scheduled prescribed fire activities may be canceled. For more information visit our website fs.usda.gov/r03/santafe/ne…

🚧Planning Begins for Gallinas Canyon Access🚧 The U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Santa Fe National Forest (SFNF), with the Central Federal Lands Highway Division of the Federal Highway Administration, is beginning the planning process to restore road access to Gallinas Canyon after damage from the Hermit’s Peak/Calf Canyon Fire and post-fire flooding. The goal is long term, safe, and resilient access while protecting the river corridor. Planning will continue through 2026 and includes site visits, evaluating roadway options, and community collaboration. Public input is a key part of this process before any design or construction decisions are made. Community members will have an opportunity to provide input on broader outdoor recreation needs in Gallinas Canyon at a public event hosted by the SFNF and Las Vegas Community Foundation. 🔴Event Information Date: Friday, February 27, 2026 Time: 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. (food provided) Location: Cafe Colibri, Las Vegas, N.M. To learn more about this project visit our website at fs.usda.gov/r03/santafe/ne…

Our offices will be closed Monday, February 16th in observance of the holiday, but national forests and grasslands remain open for your enjoyment. Stay safe, pack out what you pack in and enjoy your big backyard!

PRESCRIBED PILE BURNS CONTINUE IN THE ESPANOLA RANGER DISTRICT 🔥 Santa Fe National Forest fire crews conducted a successful test fire this morning on the Tesuque piles and will continue ignitions throughout the day. This project is located approximately 8 miles east of the village of Tesuque off Forest Road 102. Project work is visible from Ski Santa Fe and smoke may be visible from Santa Fe, Ski Santa Fe, and Española. To learn more, visit the SFNF website: fs.usda.gov/r03/santafe/ne…

PRESCRIBED FIRE UPDATE 🔥 Santa Fe National Forest fire crews completed 85 acres of the Horseshoe pile burn, located adjacent to the community of Horseshoe Springs near La Cueva and north of the village of Jemez Springs. No ignitions are planned tomorrow, but SFNF Fire Management will look for opportunities to continue this project. This decision is based on multiple factors, including snowpack, air quality, ventilation, forecast weather and wind, and resource availability. After ignitions are complete, fire crews will shift to patrolling and monitoring burn units in accordance with the burn plan. To learn more about this project, visit the SFNF website: fs.usda.gov/r03/santafe/ne…

With the current and forecast snow conditions, the Santa Fe National Forest will continue prescribed fire pile burns in the Jemez and Espanola Ranger Districts starting next week Monday January 26. The following projects are tentatively planned: Jemez Ranger District 🔥Horseshoe Piles - 239 acres located adjacent to the Horseshoe Springs community near La Cueva and north of the village of Jemez Springs, N.M. Ignitions are planned for one to four days. Espanola Ranger District 🔥Tesuque Piles - 435 acres located north of Santa Fe, N.M. near Hyde Park Road and Forest Road 102. Project work is visible from Ski Santa Fe. Smoke may be visible from Santa Fe, Ski Santa Fe, and Española. 🔥Hyde Park North Ridge Piles - 42 acres located north of Black Canyon Campground. Ignitions are planned for 2 to 3 days. Smoke may be visible from Santa Fe, Ski Santa Fe, and Española. 🔥Thompson Ridge Piles: 146 acres located in Santa Fe, N.M. near McClure Reservoir. Ignitions are planned for 2 to 3 days. Smoke may be visible from Santa Fe, the Interstate 25 corridor, and the community of Cañada de los Alamos. To learn more, visit the Santa Fe National Forest prescribed fire page: fs.usda.gov/r03/santafe/fi… For details on these projects visit the Press Release page on the SFNF website: fs.usda.gov/r03/santafe/ne…

OFFICE SCHEDULE FOR THE WEEK OF JANUARY 19 Santa Fe National Forest offices will be closed today in observance of the holiday, but national forests and grasslands remain open for your enjoyment. Stay safe, pack out what you pack in, and enjoy your big backyard! Santa Fe National Forest offices will be closed on Wednesday, January 21, for an all-employee meeting. Regular business hours will resume on Thursday, January 22, 2026.

PRESCRIBED PILE BURN UPDATE Fire crews took advantage of snowy conditions over the weekend to conduct pile burns in the Cuba, Jemez, and Española Ranger Districts. In the Cuba Ranger District, crews successfully treated 203 acres on the American Park/Rock Creek piles. In the Jemez Ranger District, 17 acres were treated on the San Diego Egress unit. In the Española Ranger District, crews completed 50 acres in the Tesuque pile burn unit. Santa Fe National Forest fire managers will continue hazardous fuels reduction work throughout the winter as weather conditions allow, pending all required approvals. Pile burning is meant to treat slash, like branches, piled by thinning crews with the aim of reducing flammable fuels. The decision to proceed with each pile burn will depend on multiple factors, including snowpack, air quality, ventilation, forecast weather and wind, and resource availability. We use prescribed fire to help reduce overgrown vegetation and protect local communities, infrastructure, and natural resources from wildfires. To learn more, visit the SFNF website: fs.usda.gov/r03/santafe/fi…

PRESCRIBED PILE BURN UPDATE This morning, test fires were successful and ignitions will continue today on the San Diego Egress unit in the Jemez Ranger District, Tesuque unit in the Española Ranger District, and the American Park/ Rock Creek pile unit in the Cuba Ranger District. Once ignitions are complete, the district fire staff will check the piles regularly according to the burn plan. To learn more about these projects, visit our website: fs.usda.gov/r03/santafe/ne…

WINTER WEATHER ALERT ❄️ This morning, the Santa Fe National Forest has weather related delays at some District Offices and the Supervisor's Office in Santa Fe, NM. We recommend calling a District Office before visiting: fs.usda.gov/r03/santafe/of… The following offices are on a 2-hour delay, opening at 10 am: Supervisor's Office in Santa Fe, NM Coyote Ranger Station Española Ranger Station Pecos Ranger Station The following offices are operating during regular business hours: Jemez Ranger Station Cuba Ranger Station Las Vegas Ranger Station

PILE BURNING PLANNED FOR WEEK OF JANUARY 5 The National Weather Service has forecast snow and precipitation across the Santa Fe National Forest beginning Thursday, January 8, potentially creating favorable conditions for implementing pile burns in the Jemez, Cuba, and Espanola Ranger Districts. Santa Fe National Forest fire managers will continue hazardous fuels reduction work throughout the winter as weather conditions allow, pending all required approvals. Pile burning is meant to treat slash, like branches, piled by thinning crews with the aim of reducing flammable fuels. The decision to proceed with each pile burn will depend on multiple factors, including snowpack, air quality, ventilation, forecast weather and wind, and resource availability. Updates will be provided on our SFNF website, social media, and Inciweb. To learn more visit: fs.usda.gov/r03/santafe/ne…

OFFICE ANNOUNCEMENT The Española District Office will be CLOSED today, December 31. All Santa Fe National Forest offices will be closed on January 1, 2026, in observance of the holiday. Regular business hours will resume Friday, January 2, 2026. To contact our offices, visit: fs.usda.gov/r03/santafe/of… We hope everyone has a safe and enjoyable New Year ❄️🌟