Incident Management Team to Assume Command of Poso Fire

Taos, NM – June 9, 2021— The Northern New Mexico Type-3 Incident Management Team will assume command of the Poso Fire on the Carson National Forest Wednesday, June 9 at 9:00 p.m. Over the next few days, the team will reinforce lines around the management area and monitor fire behavior and growth. The fire, currently at 155 acres, is the result of a lightning strike approximately 10 miles north of the community of El Rito, New Mexico. Fire managers are taking advantage of favorable conditions to manage the fire to meet several resource objectives. This management strategy is designed to help reduce hazardous fuels, return fire to the ecosystem, decrease the risk high-severity wildfires in the future, and limit exposure to firefighters.

Name: Poso Fire

Date detected: May 29, 2021

Cause: Lightning

Location: Carson NF, El Rito Ranger District, 10 miles north of El Rito, adjacent to FR123

Size: 155 acres (after strategic firing operations to secure the management area boundary)

Vegetation: Ponderosa pine and mixed conifer

Smoke: Smoke management is a key part of the planning and implementation of managed wildfire. Due to the location and elevation of the fires, smoke may be visible from surrounding communities including Vallecitos, Cañon Plaza, Petaca, Las Tablas, Servilleta Plaza, El Rito, Ojo Caliente, Tres Piedras, and La Madera, New Mexico. Smoke-sensitive individuals and people with heart or respiratory problems are encouraged to take precautionary measures. For information on air quality and protecting your health, please visit https://nmtracking.org/fire. For information on the HEPA filter loan program, go to https://facnm.org/smoke/ or contact the El Rito Ranger District 575-581-4554.

Updates will be posted on the Carson National Forest website, New Mexico Fire Information website and on the Carson National Forest Facebook and Twitter pages.