Pile Burning Planned North of Canjilon

Carson National Forest fire crews are tentatively planning to begin pile burning north of Canjilon, N.M, as early as January 23. The Fuertes Piles, named after the nearby Cañada Fuertes, were made from 102 acres of thinning on Forest Service land near private land. 

Work will occur off Forest Road 124 near the intersection with County Road 280 (sometimes referred to as Forest Road 559 or State Road 110 on some maps). 

The piles are surrounded and covered by snow. Ignitions are expected to last at least two days and smoke will likely be visible. 

The work will further progress on the Canjilon Wildland Urban Interface Project. Since 2011, Forest Service staff and partners have been thinning and applying prescribed fire around the communities of Canjilon and Placita Garcia, which are 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. 

Last fall, crews accomplished 841 acres of understory burning to the south of the communities. More areas will be addressed in the future. 

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

The public can get implementation updates on InciWeb or by calling the Canjilon Ranger Station at 575-684-2489.

(Photo: A snow-covered pile in the Fuertes Unit on January 17, 2024)