Alamosa Unit 1 Prescribed Fire Update #2 

Fire crews continued progress on the Alamosa Unit 1 Prescribed Fire today with 500 acres treated. Approximately 2,100 acres have been accomplished to date. 

Crew members used drip torches to continue blacklining along the boundaries of the 4,500-acre unit. Blackining is pre-burning fuels along the control line, in this case roads, before interior areas are treated. The blackline is usually up to 100 feet deep. 

Winds were 5 to 10 mph with temperatures in the 40s. Crew members temporarily paused operations in the middle of the day due to sleet and other conditions that were not conducive for burning. Nonetheless, crews accomplished their goal of 500 acres, a number that was set to reduce smoke impacts amid a lower ventilation rate than Wednesday, when 1,600 acres were burned. 

Crews will return tomorrow but new ignitions will depend on weather and conditions. If they are able to move forward, up to 1,500 acres could be treated. 

When large acres are treated, smoke is expected to mainly move to the east and impact communities and areas in and around the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. 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: Detail of the blackline off Forest Road 44K on Nov. 8, 2023)