Prescribed Fire Ignitions Completed North of Taos

With 406 acres treated today, sending up smoke seen far and wide, fire crews are now done with all ignitions on the Kiowa-San Cristobal Wildland Urban Interface Project for the time being. The photo here shows this evening’s on-scene fire behavior, which is low to moderate with creeping from the jackpot firing. People in the area should expect to see glow throughout the night.

After years of thinning, public fuelwood collecting and now prescribed fire, fuel loading has been reduced in the area surrounded by Arroyo Hondo, Turley Mill, Kiowa Village, San Cristobal and Highway 522. All told, nearly 1,700 acres of jackpots and piles have been treated since last week Tuesday, reducing the threat of wildfire to the surrounding communities.

Crews will continue to work on scene, patrolling and monitoring until the fire is called out. Over the long-term, work on the Kiowa-San Cristobal Project will continue with plans for pile burning this winter in an 80-acre area between Turley Mill and Gallina Canyon, as well as and thinning and more public firewood collection opportunities, followed by prescribed fire, in future years near Kiowa Village and between San Cristobal and Lama.

Carson National Forest staff would like to thank everyone for their support and understanding during this process!