Carson National Forest – Canjilon WUI Prescribed Burns

The Canjilon Ranger District of the Carson National Forest plans to conduct prescribed burns on a total of 317 acres in the Canjilon Wildland Urban Interface (WUI) beginning December and will continue into January on days when conditions permit. Available resources, wind, relative humidity, and temperature requirements must be met in order to conduct these prescribed burns.

This project consists of four separate units totaling approximately 280 acres of pile burns and one unit of 100 acres of concentrations of accumulated fuels. Unit 1 is located 1 mile east of the community of Canjilon, unit 2 and 3 are located approximately 5 miles southeast of Canjilon and Placita Garcia on Mesa Juan Domingo and unit 9 is located in the Montoya area.

The purpose of this burn is to reduce fuels created from hazardous fuels thinning and fuelwood removal activities from two separate Collaborative Forest Restoration Projects and one Title II Secure Rural Schools thinning project. These programs have contributed to the thinning of the 380 acres in the last three years. This will help reduce the thread of high severity, high intensity wildfire to the public, adjacent private property and natural resources in the WUI area that surrounds the communities of Canjilon and Placita Garcia.

Prescribed fires are one of the most effective tools available to resource managers for restoring fire-adapted ecosystems. These fires mimic natural fires by reducing forest fuels, recycling nutrients and increasing habitat diversity thus improving forest health. Prescribed fires are managed with firefighter and public safety as the first priority.

Smoke may be visible from the communities of Canjilon, Placita Garcia, Cebolla, Las Nutrias, Tierra Amarilla and Abiquiu. Smoke may also impact US Highway 84 and State Highway 115
.
Smoke from the prescribed burns will be monitored, and the information will be made available to provide health advisories as necessary. Lingering smoke may be present for up to one week after ignitions are complete. Smoke-sensitive individuals and people with respiratory problems are encouraged to take precautionary measures. Information on air quality and protecting your health can be found, at the New Mexico Department of Health website at https://nmtracking.org/fire.

For additional information about these prescribed burns, please contact the Canjilon Ranger District at 575-684-2489.