Alamosa Unit 1 Prescribed Fire Update 

Fire crews made significant progress on their first day of ignitions on the Alamosa Unit 1 Prescribed Fire. Approximately 1,600 acres within the 4,500-acre unit were treated. 

Crew members used drip torches to put fire on the forest floor around the unit’s northeastern boundary before interior sections were ignited by helicopter. Low to moderate-intensity fire traveled across the ground, successfully consuming surface fuels, such as pine needles, fallen leaves and Gambel’s oak. 

On-site winds were a brisk 7-11 mph with gusts up to 16 mph. Temperatures were in the low 50s with a low relative humidity or 18-22 percent. 

Crews will return tomorrow but new ignitions will depend on weather and conditions. They will, nonetheless, patrol and monitor the prescribed fire on the ground and by air. 

When ignitions do occur, smoke is expected to mainly move to the east and may impact areas as far as the Taos and Moreno valleys. Check the Fire and Smoke Map for local air quality and protective actions. 

The prescribed fire will help maintain forest health within an area that was first treated with in 2014. Fire-dependent forests in the Southwestern Region must undergo fire disturbance on a regular basis to maintain resiliency. If a future wildfire reaches an area with recent fire history, fire behavior is likely to be modified to a less intense, more manageable surface fire, making it safer for firefighters to engage, as was seen in the nearby Midnight Fire in 2022. 

As part of the Rio Chama Collaborative Forest Landscape Restoration Project, prescribed fire in this area also contributes to goals of improving and maintaining the health and resiliency of the Rio Chama and Rio Grande watersheds. 

Public information officers will continue to post updates on InciWeb, New Mexico Fire Information and Carson National Forest social media channels (Facebook, X) as operations continue.

(Photo: The Alamosa Unit 1 Prescribed Fire on November 8, 2023)