McCrystal Rock Prescribed Fire Ignitions Near Completion

Fire crews treated another 2,800 acres with broadcast prescribed fire in the Valle Vidal today, wrapping up the primary ignitions in the McCrystal Rock Unit for a total of 4,000 acres this year. Tomorrow, firefighters will work to clean-up some areas in and around the edges of the burn but little to no acreage growth is expected. The remaining 2,333 acres will be addressed in the future.

“Treating 4,000 acres in two days is a major accomplishment,” said Questa District Ranger Adam LaDell. “With weather and conditions changing, we’re going to shift to patrolling and monitoring until the fire is called out.”

In the days to come, a smaller organization of fire personnel will remain in the area to continue checking the fire by walking the unit boundary, mopping up edges and monitoring any remaining interior burning.

The unit remains open, but visitors should take caution when entering a recently burned area. Smoke will be visible throughout tomorrow from the interior smoldering pockets of unburned fuels and clean-up work. Visitors are asked to slow down and drive with caution when smoke is present, or firefighters and apparatuses are working on or near the roadways.

The McCrystal Rock Unit is part of the larger 21,000-acre Valle Vidal Northeast Prescribed Fire Project. The goal is to improve wildlife habitat by, in part, promoting grassland and meadow regeneration and reducing the potential for high-severity wildfires in forested areas.

Fire-adapted forests in the Southwest must undergo fire disturbance on a regular basis to maintain resiliency. Reintroducing and maintaining regular fire intervals in the Valle Vidal, the so-called “Yellowstone of the Southwest,” is a key component of the USDA Forest Service’s Wildfire Crisis Strategy. The emphasis of the strategy is to increase fuels and forest health treatments to protect natural resources in designated landscapes, including the 1.5-million-acre Enchanted Circle Landscape in Northern New Mexico.

The public can learn more information about this prescribed fire on InciWeb, New Mexico Fire Information and Carson National Forest social media channels (Facebook, X).

(Photo: Firefighter holds and monitors the prescribed burn)