1860 Fire Will Continue to be Monitored

Start date:  Tuesday, July 18

Cause:  Lightning

Location:  Canjilon Ranger District, Pinabete Mocho area, east of Forest Road 137, south of Lopez Canyon, north of Forest Road 636, and west of Laguna Pinabete Mocho

Size:  71 acres

Growth Potential:  low to moderate

Resources:  7 personnel

Vegetation:  Primarily ponderosa pine with pinyon/juniper and grass understory

Fire managers continue to monitor the 1860 Fire as it slowly moves through the landscape. Due to temperatures, humidity, and cloud cover, conditions are not ideal for managing this fire. The fire just isn’t carrying with enough intensity to accomplish the multiple resource objectives that fire managers were hoping for.

However, the fire it still providing a number of benefits for the environment. It continues to play its natural role in the ecosystem by slowing burning pine needles, shrubs, smaller trees and dead and down timber which is very helpful in reducing the thick, dense vegetation. Allowing the fire to naturally thin the forest and take out the weaker, more diseased trees will improve forest health, range land, and wildlife habitat.

Fire managers plan to continue monitoring the fire without any further active management with the current weather pattern and fire activity.  Fire management tactics may change if there is a change in weather or fire activity.

Advisories:  Smoke may be visible from the Canjilon area so use caution if traveling along U.S. Highway 84 or New Mexico State Road 115.  Individuals sensitive to smoke, as well as those with respiratory or heart disease, are reminded to take precautionary measures.  Air quality information and health protection measures are available online at the New Mexico Department of Health’s website:  https://nmtracking.org/fire.

 Fire Information:  

Carson National Forest webpage: https://www.fs.usda.gov/news/carson/news-events

Carson National Forest Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/CarsonNF/