InciWeb - Incident Information System

On Friday, May 15th, fire managers completed hand and aerial ignitions on the 6,500-acre, La Sotella Prescribed Burn on the Espanola Ranger District. The La Sotella treatment area is located on Lobato Mesa, 8 miles south of Abiquiu, NM. Fire managers began treating the area on Wednesday, May 13 and successfully treated 5,500-acres within three days.

Fire managers were in prescription throughout the burn and did meet resource objectives. The objectives of the La Sotella burn were to improve forage quality and quantity for wildlife. District Ranger, Sandy Hurlocker and District Wildlife Biologist, Mary recently flew over the burn on Friday, May15, and Orr is content with the burns outcome. "We have successfully achieved a mosaic burn," said Orr. "Fire carried through the forest floor like a broom clearing dead and down vegetation and opened areas for sunlight to stimulate new forage for wildlife" added Orr.

Fire managers will continue to monitor the burn area for the next couple of days, and residual smoke will be visible for awhile.Smoke for the burn may be visible from the communities of Abiquiu, Hernandez, Santa Fe, Espanola, Tesuque, Los Alamos, I-25 and US 84/285.