Pile Burning Begins Near TSV, El Rito Project Added

Fire crews began pile burning today, with more planned around the forest tomorrow (Dec. 3). Here’s the latest:

Taos Ski Valley

Crews treated piles from 49 acres of thinning along Highway 150, including around homes and businesses in the Amizette area (pictured above). More ignitions are planned for Dec. 3.

El Rito

With more winter weather in the forecast, fire managers added piles along Forest Road 137, located southwest of the community of El Rito in Rio Arriba County. The piles are from 108 acres of thinning within the El Rito Canyon Landscape Restoration Project. Ignitions are expected to begin Dec. 3.

Hopewell Lake

Pile burning is also slated for Dec. 3 east of Hopewell Lake, near Highway 64 and Forest Service roads 712 and 91. The piles are from 429 acres of thinning.

Keep Updated

Daily updates for the above projects will be available on a Carson National Forest website alert.

After the Burn

Once ignitions are completed, crews will continue to patrol and monitor the burned down piles until they are called out. This process can take months and may include the use of infrared handheld cameras and uncrewed aerial systems, popularly known as drones.