East Centerfire Prescribed Fire to Commence on Quemado RD

Silver City, NM: March 22, 2012--Pending favorable weather conditions, the Quemado Ranger District on the Gila National Forest is planning on conducting black lining on the East Centerfire Prescribed Fire between March 26 and March 30, 2012, and returning in April to finish burning the interior. Once the black lining starts, the prescribed fire is expected to take a week or so to complete.

Black lining: Before a prescribed fire, black lining is conducted to reburn fuels adjacent to a control line and is usually done in heavy fuels during periods of low fire danger to reduce heat on holding crews and lessen chances for spotting across the control line.

Objectives: improve wildlife habitat, watershed conditions, and reduce fire danger.

Planned acreage: 2,416 (includes 300 to 500 acres of black lining)

Location: in the Centerfire Bog area south of County Road B012, approximately 6 miles northeast of Luna, NM.

Smoke will be visible in the Luna Valley and Armijo Springs area during early morning and evening hours and is expected to decrease as daytime temperatures increase.

Further information: District Fire Management Officer Nate Nozie, (575) 773-4678.

Fire personnel will closely monitor the prescribed fire throughout its duration.

Wildfire & Emergency Support Vendors for USFS

FOREST SERVICE ANNOUNCES MEETING FOR VENDORS INTERESTED IN SUPPORTING WILDFIRES & OTHER EMERGENCY INCIDENTS

Silver City, NM; January 6, 2012--The USDA Forest Service, Southwestern Region, announces a meeting for vendors interested in providing resources to support wildfires and other emergency incidents on January 26, 2012, from 1:00 to 3:00 p.m. The meeting is scheduled via video teleconferencing (VTC) at multiple locations throughout New Mexico and Arizona.

In southwest New Mexico, the VTC is scheduled at the Gila National Forest Supervisor’s Office, 3005 E. Camino del Bosque, Silver City. To find the location of other VTC locations, call the Supervisor’s Office at 575.388.8201. Office hours: Monday through Friday 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Learn about the registration required to become a government vendor, how to find and respond to a solicitation through the Virtual Incident Procurement (VIPR) system, and how to read and understand contract requirements for specific equipment.  The following resource types will be obtained by competitive solicitation for Fiscal Year 2012:

•           Mobile laundry units

•           Potable and gray water trucks/Trailer-mounted handwashing units

•           Portable toilets/Wheelchair accessible portable toilets/Portable handwash units

•           Fuel tenders

•           Aircraft Rescue Firefighting Apparatus (formerly Crash Rescue Trucks)

•           Miscellaneous Heavy Equipment (feller bunchers/masticators/road graders/skidders)

Although not an inclusive list, some other common types of equipment used to support  emergency incidents include: 

•           All terrain vehicles (ATVs) and Utility Vehicles (UTVs)

•           Chainsaw repair kits

•           Chippers

•           Coach bus

•           Computers and Printers

•           Copiers

•           Heavy Equipment (dozers/excavators/transports)

•           Mechanic with Service Truck

•           Mobile Sleeper Units

•           Vehicle rentals (passenger vehicles and trucks without operators)

•           Vehicle with Driver (usually owned by individuals or small business and used to haul supplies)

•           Water Handling Equipment (support & tactical water tenders and engines)

Interested vendors can also obtain information about VIPR on the Internet at http://www.fs.fed.us/business/incident/vipr.php.  Current solicitation notices are published on the Internet at https://www.fbo.gov.  Enter VIPR into the search box.                      - End -

#WallowFire - Gila NF fire acreage still closed

Area Closure in Wallow Fire Burned Area within NM

 Remains In Effect Due to Safety Concerns

Silver City, NM; August 8, 2011—Due to unsafe conditions within the Wallow Fire burned area located on the Quemado Ranger District of the Gila National Forest, the temporary closure of the 15,789 acres that were affected will remain closed due to public health and safety concerns.  “Our number one priority is managing the burned area to maximize human safety by removing existing hazards and then begin to reopen areas for public re-entry,” says Quemado District Ranger Janice Stevenson.  The Head of the Ditch Campground located within the closure area also remains closed due to the heightened potential for flooding as a result of the fire; all other areas on the Forest are open.

Forest personnel have been cutting dead trees located adjacent to roads that could easily fall and injure forest users.  Areas within the fire that burned very hot are being aerially seeded to expedite the establishment of vegetation which serves to stabilize the soil, reduce soil erosion, and reduce the potential for future flooding.  Dozer lines have been reshaped, water barred, and seeded.  Straw mulch has also been applied to steep sections of dozer lines to reduce erosion potential. 

Some areas with severe fire damage may have to remain closed for some time as it will take longer to restore these areas and remove safety hazards. 

The burned area has been closed since June 10, 2011; length of the closure is dependent upon several criteria including public safety and protection of forest resources (i.e. soils, vegetation, water quality, wildlife, fisheries, recreation, heritage, etc.).

The closure area is located in the vicinity of Luna, N.M. and extends north and west to the Arizona state line.  A detailed description of the closure area is included in the closure order posted on the ground in the vicinity of the burned area, available from Ranger District offices, and posted on the Gila National Forest website www.fs.usda.gov/gila.

Further information may be obtained by contacting the Quemado Ranger District at 575.773.4678.