Prescribed Fires Near Canjilon, N.M. Tentatively Scheduled for Oct. 19 

Fire crews are planning to move forward with ignitions on the Canjilon Wildland Urban Interface Project on Thursday, Oct. 19, pending weather. Crews are looking to first treat the 841-acre Blas Unit with broadcast prescribed fire before moving to the 899-acre Montoya Unit. The units are to the south and east of Canjilon, N.M., respectively. 

Crews will first conduct a test fire to evaluate fire behavior. If the test is successful, ignitions will continue that day. They will reevaluate weather and conditions, as well continue test fires, each subsequent day of ignitions and will postpone if weather and conditions change. 

Fire crews are planning implement the project over five to seven days to limit smoke impacts. Smoke may be visible from Canjilon, Placita Garcia, Cebolla and Abiquiu, as well as Canjilon and Trout lake recreation areas. 

Area winds are forecasted to be 4 to 6 mph, with a low relative humidity of 13% and good overnight recovery. Similar winds are expected to continue into early next week, when a chance of showers and increased humidity are forecasted.  

Since 2011, Forest Service staff and partners have been thinning and applying prescribed fire around the communities of Canjilon and Placita Garcia, which are completely surrounded by Carson National Forest. Many adjacent private landowners, with the assistance of the state, are contributing by thinning and applying prescribed fire on their properties. A map that shows how the Montoya and Blas units fit into the bigger picture is available online.  

If a future wildfire reaches the area after treatments are completed, the fire behavior will likely be modified to a less intense, more manageable surface fire.   

The Canjilon project is part of the 3.8 million-acre Rio Chama Collaborative Forest Landscape Restoration Project, which supports the national Wildfire Crisis Strategy.   

The public can receive prescribed fire updates on InciWeb, New Mexico Fire Information and Carson National Forest social media channels (Facebook, X).