Bandelier To Begin Prescribed Burns Tuesday BANDELIER News: The National Park Service will begin the process of prescribed fire in Bandelier National Monument, as previously announced, Tuesday, and continue through the end of the week as conditions allow or until completion. The prescribed burns will occur in previously thinned areas where materials have been piled. Burn operations are completed in phases over several days depending on weather and fuel conditions. The purpose of these burns is to reduce hazardous fuels and the chance for future high-intensity wildfires. The Highway 4 Pile Unit is approximately 75 acres and extends west from Ponderosa Campground to the Valles Caldera Boundary.