Smoke Management Program

The New Mexico Environment Department Smoke Management Program (SMP) ensures prescribed burns are carried out safely. Certain prescribed burns must be registered through the Department. The SMP Guidance Document and other resources listed below provide information and tools on when and how to register prescribed burns.

• NMED Smoke Management System is the web application used to register burns and find current burn information.
• Open Burning and Smoke Management page provides description of the regulations for burns of all sizes.
• Smoke Management Ventilation Category Tracking form is an Excel spreadsheet used to track ventilation categories.
• Smoke Management Visual Monitoring form is an Excel spreadsheet used to record visual smoke observations.
• SMP Frequently Asked Questions provides additional information about the prescribed burn program.
• SMP Guidance Document is the main source of guidance for the Smoke Management Program. Appendices are linked below.
  • SMP Appendix A – Smoke Management Regulation (20.2.65 NMAC)
  • SMP Appendix B – Open Burning Regulation (20.2.60 NMAC)
  • SMP Appendix C –Alternatives to Burning
  • SMP Appendix D – Emission Reduction Techniques
  • SMP Appendix E – Evaluation of Smoke Dispersion
  • SMP Appendix F – Air Quality Monitoring
  • SMP Appendix G – Public Notification
  • SMP Appendix H – Burn Authorization
  • SMP Appendix I – Fire Activity Tracking
  • SMP Appendix J – Emission Factors & Calculations
  • SMP Appendix K – Guidance on How to Calculate Fuel Loading
  • SMP Appendix L – SMP Administration
  • SMP Appendix M – Regulatory Authority & Legislative Background
  • SMP Appendix N – Stakeholder Process & Participants
  • SMP Appendix O – Airshed and NAA Maps
• Wildfire and Prescribed Fire Smoke resources page provides monitoring, health, and smoke forecast information and links.

Ventilation Category Waivers

The Air Quality Bureau has issued the following statewide waiver for both pile and broadcast burning. The waiver includes conditions that must be followed for those burns.

Under limited conditions, individual waivers might be granted in cases where the statewide waiver would not allow the goals of the burn to be completed. For individual waiver requests that seek to modify any of the statewide waiver conditions other than 7 and 11, evidence (that may include modeling) will be required to document that the burn will not cause members of the public to be exposed to concentrations above the air quality standards.

See the following information on the statewide waiver or individual waivers.

• Individual Waiver Checklist describes the information to include in an individual waiver request.
• NM SMP Daily Waiver Reporting Form (Excel) is used to record and report smoke observations on days when either an individual waiver or Statewide waiver are used.
• Statewide Ventilation Waiver (updated January 24, 2025) for Broadcast and Pile Burns provides conditions for burning in fair or poor ventilation conditions that have been approved in areas under NMED jurisdiction.
• BlueSky Playground is an example of a modeling tool that can help predict the air quality impacts of a prescribed burn.

Contact the Smoke Management Program

Email: NMENV.smoke@env.nm.gov

Phone: (505) 476-4330

Toll-Free: (800) 224-7009, ext. 4330 (or ask for Smoke Management)

Fax: (505) 476-4375