Starting Saturday several local trails in Santa Fe will be closed to the public due to fire dangers.
Mayor Alan Webber is signing an Executive Order on Saturday.
The following trails and trails systems will be closed:
- The Dale Ball Trails (which are accessed off of Hyde Park Road, Cerro Gordo Road, Upper Canyon Road, and Camino Cruz Blanca, including the Atalaya and Dorothy Stewart trails);
- The Sun Mountain Trail;
- La Tierra Trails;
- MX/BMX trails at La Tierra and the Metropolitan Recreation Complex (MRC)
Webber says the order compliments those of the Federal and Santa Fe County governments that have closed access to Santa Fe National Forest and trails that lead to it.
He says the area is facing unprecedented fire dangers.
“We want to do everything we can to make sure that we not only fight the fires that already exist but we don’t create anymore fire incidents inside the city,” he said. “It’s something we’re taking as precaution and we’re asking everybody to come along with us to be extra careful in this heightened fire season.”
The Santa Fe Fire Department reports the danger of range fires, grass fires, forest fires, and structure fires are very high or extremely high in and around the city.
Santa Fe Fire Chief Brian Moya says he has never seen such extreme fire conditions so early in the season.
“The winds came in big, the fuel loads are heavy, and the drought conditions are extraordinary,” he said. “Parts of these closed trails are remote and difficult to access, which can increase the amount of time it would take to respond to an emergency. All of those factors went into this decision. I’m also reminding the public to observe the fire restrictions that are in place—no open burning and no fireworks!”
While the existing fires do not put the city of Santa Fe at immediate risk, new fires can be easily started in the city’s vegetated open spaces through irresponsible human use, such as discarded cigarettes, sparks from vehicles and machinery, and behavior or actions that could cause a fire incident to break out.
While the trails and open spaces listed above are closed, the Mayor’s Proclamation encourages residents and visitors to utilize the City’s robust network of inner-city trails, open spaces, parks, and recreation centers.