La Jara Unit Monitoring and Mop-up.

Taos, N.M., Oct. 13, 2024—Here’s the latest for prescribed fires on the Carson National Forest:

• It’s the last day of major operations on the La Jara Prescribed Fire. After today fire crews implement the long-term patrol and monitoring plan for the La Jara Unit to ensure that all hot spots burn out in a timely manner or are mopped up.  Crews along the fire perimeter especially near highway 64 are making the fire safer and reducing residual smoke by extinguishing or removing burning material along or near the control line, felling snags, and moving logs so they won’t roll downhill. Throughout the last few days,  an uncrewed aerial system, or drone, has been used to both help identify hot spots throughout the project area and to identify burned areas that no longer carry heat. 

• In recent years, the Carson National Forest has increased our post-ignition monitoring efforts for prescribed fires to ensure the safest outcomes. Use of drones and lengthier waiting periods before officially calling a fire “out” are examples of these efforts. To learn more about how the Carson is improving our prescribed fires, visit this page: (https://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/carson/fire/?cid=fseprd1205804)  
  
• Resources are being gathered to implement the Powderhouse Prescribed Fire in the Valle Vidal as early as Oct. 15. For more details read the October 10 news release available at www.fs.usda.gov/detail/carson/news-event.

Stay Updated

Residents and visitors are encouraged to keep updated with prescribed fire and other Carson National Forest news by joining the forest news release list, among other options like checking InciWeb, following on social media and using NMFireInfo.com.

More information about prescribed fires, including smoke-readiness tips, are available online.