ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – Four Bosque fires across Albuquerque since Tuesday have left acres of destruction along popular riverside trails. And while Parks and Rec looks toward the long process of restoring burned areas, Albuquerque Fire Rescue (AFR) is aiming to prevent new fires.

AFR is ramping up Bosque patrols, with fire crews now actively combing the area nearly 12 hours a day alongside police. “So we have crews out here actively patrolling the Bosque from Central, primarily up to Montaño. AP open space is also gonna be helping with us in the area as well, just due to the increase in fire activity that we’ve seen,” explained Jason Fejer, spokesperson for Albuquerque Fire Rescue.

Four fires have burned in the Albuquerque Bosque between Montaño and Central since Wednesday, which includes areas where the city’s open space division has worked to thin invasive and overgrown plants and trees, along with removing dead wood.

Crews respond to fire in South Valley at Hubbell Dam

Dustin Chavez Davis is the city’s Bosque Program Coordinator, working to make the Bosque more fire resilient. He says open space crews have already been out assessing the fire sites, estimating that around ten acres have burned.

“So as far as restoration goes, you know, after a fire happens, Open Space Division will come into that area and do some surveying, do some monitoring. So we’ll be on the lookout for invasive plants and weeds that we would then remove. We will do some restoration planting,” shared Davis.

They’re also working to review the tree canopy throughout impacted areas and say in the coming months, they’ll use a native grass and wildflower seed mix to begin re-planting the area.

While AFR continues ramped up patrols, they’re also urging people to report anything suspicious by calling 3-1-1 or 9-1-1 if they see a fire. There is no burning permitted in the Bosque at any time.