Prescribed Fire Outside Canjilon Began Today

Canjilon, N.M., May 17, 2024— After careful consideration of the current and forecasted weather, as well as the fuel conditions, fire officials determined that today was the best day to begin ignitions on the Montoya Prescribed Fire within the Canjilon Wildland Urban Interface Project.

At 6:20 pm tonight fire crews finished burning 835-acres of the proposed total 899-acre unit. They were able to create a solid black line along most of the perimeter of the Montoya Prescribed Fire Unit today. The fire crews are now monitoring and holding the fire within the perimeter. If the conditions are right, crews will continue ignitions and work to complete the burn tomorrow.

The area remains open, but locals and visitors should take caution when entering a recently burned area. Some smoke will be visible throughout the weekend from the interior smoldering pockets of unburned fuels and clean-up work. Motorists should slow down when in the area.

Clear skies with lows in the mid to high-40’s and humidity’s in the mid-30’s is expected tonight. Very good to excellent ventilation is forecasted through at least early next week. Saturday is sunny becoming partly cloudy, temps in the mid-70’s and winds out of the west at 5 to 7 mph.

Smoke is visible from Canjilon, El Rito, Ghost Ranch, Abiquiu and Taos. The permanent air quality monitor at the Taos Fire Station was at 51 AQI, which is the low end of moderate, at 7 p.m. tonight. People who are unusually sensitive to smoke are recommended to keep outdoor activities light and short. Go indoors if you have symptoms. Keep up to date with the Taos Fire Station air quality monitor and other local monitors on the on the Fire and Smoke Map.

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