Esquibel Prescribed Fire Update #2

After a successful shift on Tuesday, fire crews this morning began a third day of ignitions on the Esquibel Prescribed Fire. The most current National Weather Service spot forecast for the area estimates winds of 5 to 10 mph. Fire managers are using a portable remote automatic weather station, as well as two permanent stations nearby, to closely monitor conditions on site.

Yesterday, crew members, including the Forest Stewards Guild All Hands All Lands Burn Team, blacklined most of the southern side of the prescribed fire unit. Blacklining is pre-burning fuels along the control line before interior areas are treated. To date, 776 acres have been treated.

Today, crew members will conduct ignitions off the unit’s east side, which was blacklined on Monday. A helicopter may be used to treat areas further into the interior, likely resulting in larger areas of treatment. Ignitions on the 2,962-acre prescribed fire unit are expected to last throughout the week.

Residents and visitors in the area will likely observe smoke coming from the unit, as well as the Indios Fire on the Santa Fe National Forest. Check the Fire and Smoke Map for local air quality and use the Environmental Protection Agency’s smoke-ready toolbox for protective actions. A limited number of portable air filter units, courtesy of the Forest Stewards Guild, are available on loan for nearby smoke-sensitive residents. Call the Tres Piedras Ranger Station at 575-758-8678 for availability.

Fire crews are targeting fuels on the forest floor, such as leaf litter, downed branches and brush. The fire may fully burn single trees or stands, which will help create an open canopy. They will use recently greened-up grassland areas within the unit as holding features, along with Forest Road 83 and two prescribed fires from 2015 and 2021.

As part of the Rio Chama Collaborative Forest Landscape Restoration Project, prescribed fire in this area 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, Carson National Forest social media channels (Facebook, X) and New Mexico Fire Information as operations continue.