Crews Plan for Pile Burning Near Turley Mill,Complete Ignitions Near Tusas Valley

Fire managers are planning to take advantage of recent storms to conduct pile burning near Turley Mill to the north of Taos as early as November 4. A previous attempt over the weekend was postponed due to unmet conditions.

The piles, within the 75-acre Unit G, are surrounded by control lines. Smoldering piles may put off a glow each night after ignitions.

The piles are part of the Kiowa-San Cristobal Wildland Urban Interface Project, which is part of a collaborative effort to reduce wildfire risk and improve forest and watershed health. In 2015, local organizations partnered with the Carson National Forest and other groups to form the Taos Valley Watershed Coalition and identified the project as a priority for reducing wildfire threats to communities and watersheds.

To date, nearly 5,000 acres of thinning and prescribed fire have been completed within the project area. This work has helped reduce wildfire risk in the area while also increasing opportunities for fuelwood gathering and improving riparian corridors and range allotments.

Forest staff appreciate the public’s patience as fire managers continue to look for safe conditions to complete this work.

Ignition status updates will be available online.

Tusas Valley

Last weekend, fire personnel successfully treated 411 acres on the Willow Piles Prescribed Fire near the Tusas Valley, west of Tres Piedras. That site is currently in patrol and monitor status until the fire is called out.