Cibola National Forest’s Mt. Taylor and Magdalena Ranger Districts Begin Stage II Fire Restrictions

Cibola National Forest and Grasslands Forest Supervisor Nancy Rose announced that the Mt. Taylor and Magdalena Ranger Districts will begin Stage II fire restrictions on Monday, June 11, 2012, at 8:00 a.m. “Although we’ve received some precipitation recently, it hasn’t been enough to reduce the drought conditions that we’re experiencing in these areas,” said Rose.

Current Fire Restrictions for the Cibola National Forest and Grasslands are:

• Magdalena Ranger District will begin Stage II Fire Restrictions on June 11, 2012, for the Datil and San Mateo Mountains; the rest of the district will stay in Stage I restrictions. Fire conditions are currently high

• Mt. Taylor Ranger District will begin Stage II Fire Restrictions on June 11, 2012. Wood cutting permits will be suspended at that time. Fire conditions are currently very high to extreme.

• Mountainair Ranger District is in Stage I Fire Restrictions, but fire conditions are currently very high.

• The Sandia Ranger District is in Stage I Fire Restrictions, but fire conditions are currently very high.

• Black Kettle and McClellan Creek National Grasslands have no restrictions; fire conditions are currently low.

• Kiowa and Rita Blanca National Grasslands have no restrictions; fire conditions are currently moderate.

Stage II fire restrictions include:

• Building, maintaining, attending or using a fire, campfire, charcoal, coal, or stove fire is prohibited, except within a developed recreation site, or improved site. The use of petroleum-fueled stoves, lanterns, or heating devices is allowed, provided such devices meet the fire underwriter’s specifications for safety.

• Smoking, except within an enclosed vehicle or building, is prohibited.

Also prohibited is:

• Using an explosive, discharging a firearm, air rifle or gas gun.

• Operating a chainsaw or other equipment powered by an internal combustion engine is prohibited from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

• Operating or using any internal or external combustion engine without a spark arresting device that is properly installed, maintained and in effective working order.

They must meet either USDA Forest Service or appropriate Society of Automotive Engineers’ (SAE) recommended practice.

• Welding or operating acetylene or other torch with an open flame is prohibited, as is possessing or using a motor vehicle off National Forest System roads, except when parking in an area devoid of vegetation within 10 feet of the roadway; and except for overnight parking in Forest Service-developed campgrounds and trailheads.

The following are exempt from this order:

• Persons with a Forest Service permit specifically authorizing the prohibited act or omission.

• Any federal, state, or local officer, or member of an organized firefighting force in the performance of an official duty.

• Generators that are specifically designed by the manufacturer and used within an enclosed recreational vehicle such as a motorhome or a travel trailer.

The current fire restriction orders can be found on the Cibola’s web site: www.fs.usda.gov/cibola in the “Alerts and Notices” section.

Useful fire websites:

• Southwest Coordination Center: gacc.nifc.gov/swcc

• National Interagency Fire Center: www.nifc.gov

• National Incident Information Center: www.fs.fed.us/news/fire

• FireWise: www.firewise.org