Carson National Forest Planning Valle Vidal Hart Canyon Prescribed Burn Next Week

Taos, NM – November 12, 2021 – Fire managers on the Carson National Forest are planning to implement the Valle Vidal Hart Canyon prescribed burn next week. The burn is located approximately 19 miles northwest of Cimarron and 16 miles northeast of Ute Park, New Mexico.  The fuels treatments will be implemented in effort to restore and improve forest health and reduce the risk of high-intensity wildfires.

The Valle Vidal Hart Canyon broadcast burn treats 6,529 acres and is expected to take several days. The burn is planned to start as early as Wednesday if conditions are favorable for burning.

The decision to implement a specific prescribed burn depends on multiple conditions, including the national wildland fire preparedness level, resource availability, fuel moisture levels, air quality, ventilation, and forecasted weather. During the COVID-19 pandemic, fire managers consider smoke impacts to communities before making a final decision to implement a prescribed fire. Careful planning and implementation actions are exercised to reduce smoke impacts to communities and roadways as much as foreseeably possible.

These prescribed burns are designed to meet specific objectives and will be managed with firefighter and public safety as the first priority.

Smoke may be visible from the surrounding areas: Cimarron, Ute Park, Raton, Costilla and Amalia during and after ignitions are completed. The Carson National Forest manages prescribed fires in compliance with New Mexico state regulations on air quality and smoke management. Smoke-sensitive individuals and people with respiratory problems or heart disease are encouraged to take precautionary measures. Information on air quality and protecting your health can be found online at the New Mexico Department of Health (NMDOH) Environmental Public Health Tracking (EPHT) website.

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

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