Skip to main content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Forests and Rangelands Success Story

Dripping Springs Prescribed Burn Project
Bureau of Land Management Las Cruces District, New Mexico
National Fire Plan - Fuels Reduction
2008

For the past decade or so, the BLM-Las Cruces District, has implemented a prescribed burn project to protect historical structures, a Natural area, and recreationalist from the threat of wildfire. In addition, this area could be used as a safety zone for firefighters during suppression activities, and visitors in the event of a wildfire. The Dripping Springs prescribed fire, an ongoing 30 acre project has proven to be very useful. The historical structures include a livery, tuberculosis sanatorium and a resort; also included in this area is the Dripping Springs Natural Area.

The project was started in the mid-1990s and has been ongoing when the fuel load is high enough that they deem necessary. Typically they burn in the spring; reducing the fuel load until the monsoon season. This allows for several months of protection for the structures and the visitors to the area. Normally, local crews from the Las Cruces District Office implement the burning but assistance from Carlsbad, Socorro, Roswell and Taos BLM offices have come down to help.

On June 14, 2008, around 4:00 p.m., a fire dubbed the Dripping Springs fire started in the canyon south of the recreation site. This fire quickly became active and by nightfall was threatening areas of the Dripping Springs Natural Area. The prescribed fire that was implemented again in February gave fire crews a safety zone and an area to anchor burn operations. Crews utilized some rock out crops and the prescribed burn to back-burn the area between the structures and the fire. This saved the structures and as the crews carried fire down the canyon, it stopped the fire spread to the north saving countless acres. This control line kept the fire from getting into a draw bottom with thick apache plume that had a direct line to some of the historic structures.

This project, though small, proved to be an effective area for fire crews to do what they needed to do. This anchor point was essential in stopping fire spread to the north and protecting the structures. The BLM- Las Cruces District will continue with this project for many years to come and may expand on it now to encompass some of the burned area.

Contact: Ryan Whiteaker, Las Cruces District Fuels Specialist, (575) 525-4342.