There will be both this month and next when the Santa Fe National Forest performs prescribed burns near the Rio Chama Wilderness, the Forest Service announced Friday.
The first prescribed burn is planned for later this month about 1.5 miles east of Jemez Springs. That follows the late September ignition of a prescribed burn west of town near the Rancho de Chaparral Girl Scout Camp.
Two more planned burns, both several miles northeast of Llaves in a remote part of Rio Arriba County, could start by Nov. 7. Starting the fires is expected to take a couple of days, at which point fire crews will work to keep them contained.
Communities including Cuba, Abiquiú, Albuquerque and Jemez Springs might see smoke from the prescribed burns. People who are sensitive to smoke may be impacted and should take extra care, according to notifications sent out by National Forest officials.
A meeting is planned for Oct. 30 for community members to discuss the fires with forest fire managers. The meeting will begin at 6 p.m. at the Regina Volunteer Fire Department, 923 Highway 96, in Cuba.
Prescribed burns are a way to reduce fuel to prevent more serious wildfires and benefit the overall ecosystem.
Not all burns are planned.
On Monday, the Santa Fe National Forest announced a wildfire had started near Jemez Springs. The cause of the 30-acre Porter Wildfire was still under investigation earlier this week, but it was not expected to harm people or property, according to a news release.