Fire crews are back on scene of both prescribed fire projects currently in progress on the Carson National Forest. Here’s the latest. ALAMOSA UNIT 1 (RIO ARRIBA COUNTY) With an improved ventilation rate, fire crews are moving forward with ignitions on up to 500 acres. They plan to complete blackline around the entire 4,500-acre unit […]

It was a quiet day on the prescribed fire front. Here’s the latest on our two current projects. ALAMOSA UNIT 1 (RIO ARRIBA COUNTY) Fire crews on Saturday patrolled and monitored as the fire smoldered, crept and backed. Ignitions did not move forward due to weather and ventilation. They will return Sunday for the same […]

Efforts to improve and maintain forest health continue this weekend. Here’s the latest. ALAMOSA UNIT 1 (RIO ARRIBA COUNTY) Fire crews will return Saturday to look for opportunities with weather and on-site conditions to continue treating the 4,500-acre prescribed fire unit north of El Rito. Crews did not move forward with ignitions today due to […]

Fire crews continued progress on the Alamosa Unit 1 Prescribed Fire today with 500 acres treated. Approximately 2,100 acres have been accomplished to date.  Crew members used drip torches to continue blacklining along the boundaries of the 4,500-acre unit. Blackining is pre-burning fuels along the control line, in this case roads, before interior areas are […]

Fire crews made significant progress on their first day of ignitions on the Alamosa Unit 1 Prescribed Fire. Approximately 1,600 acres within the 4,500-acre unit were treated.  Crew members used drip torches to put fire on the forest floor around the unit’s northeastern boundary before interior sections were ignited by helicopter. Low to moderate-intensity fire […]

After meeting with meteorologists to discuss weather and conditions today, fire managers are tentatively planning the following prescribed fire operations this week: Fire managers will continue to consult with meteorologists for both prescribed fires and postpone ignitions if weather conditions adversely change. Public information officers will post updates for both projects to InciWeb (Alamosa, McCrystal), […]

Fire crews responded to a report of a fire off Highway 518 and near Tres Ritos, N.M. at approximately 11:48 a.m. Upon arrival, local department personnel saw flames rapidly moving uphill in mixed conifer stands on Carson National Forest.  Fire behavior and spread moderated greatly by late afternoon. Called the La Junta Fire, it’s size is […]

After consulting with meteorologists, fire managers are tentatively planning to implement a prescribed fire north of El Rito, N.M., as early as Tuesday, Nov. 7. Called the Alamosa Unit 1 Prescribed Fire, crews will treat up to 4,500 acres bound by Forest Roads 44, 44K and 725 and just west of the village of Vallecitos.  […]

Fire crews completed another 45 acres of pile burning within the Taos Ski Valley resort area today. With 90 acres accomplished, all high-priority areas that would immediately affect winter visitors have been mitigated. The remaining 113 acres of piles will be treated at future time. The piles are the result of fuels reduction, mostly blowdown […]

Fire crews completed ignitions on 45 acres of piles within the Taos Ski Valley resort area today. Snow flurries occurred throughout the day as fire consumed piles and wet ground limited flames from spreading across the forest floor.  Crew members traversed steep slopes with drip torches, lighting piles mostly created from trees felled during the […]

Fire managers are tentatively planning to begin pile burning throughout the Taos Ski Valley resort area on the morning of Sunday, Oct. 29. Plans to start operations earlier this week were postponed due to a lack of precipitation.  Precipitation is likely Sunday afternoon, falling as snow by evening, according to the latest National Weather Forecast. […]

Fire crews have determined there is no need to continue with hand and aerial ignitions for the broadcast prescribed fire in the 841-acre Blas Unit within the Canjilon Wildland Urban Interface Project. They have been mopping up while patrolling and monitoring the burn area since Sunday and will continue throughout the week. Personnel will remain […]

Fire managers are postponing ignitions of piles within the Taos Ski Valley resort area due to weather. The chances of precipitation over the area has decreased. When treated, the Taos Ski Valley specials use permit burn piles will address fuels reduction within the resort boundary. The piles are mostly the result of clean-up after the December […]

CANJILON, N.M., Oct. 21, 2023— Fire crews treated another 591 acres with broadcast prescribed fire in the Canjilon area today, wrapping up the primary ignitions in the Blas Unit for a total of 841 acres. Tomorrow, crews will work to clean-up some areas in and around the edges of the burn but little to no […]

Canjilon, N.M., Oct. 20, 2023— After careful consideration of the current and forecasted weather, as well as the fuel conditions, fire officials determined that today was the best day to begin ignitions on the Blas Unit within the Canjilon Wildland Urban Interface Project. Fire crews were able to create a solid black line along much […]

Fire managers are planning to move forward with pile burning throughout the Taos Ski Valley resort area as early as Tuesday, Oct. 24. The piles are located in the lower frontside, lower frontside steeps, Minnesota’s and parts of the backside. They represent 208 acres of fuels reduction, mostly blowdown from the December 2021 snow squall. […]

After a successful test fire this morning, fire crews are proceeding with ignitions on the 842-acre Blas Unit to the south of Canjilon, NM. They may treat up to around 500 acres with broadcast prescribed fire today. Smoke will be visible. More information about the project is available on InciWeb.

Fire crews will not move forward with prescribed fire ignitions on Canjilon Wildland Urban Interface Project units today due to poor ventilation. With very light winds, smoke would not loft and disperse out of the area and instead could build up and stay in the communities of Canjilon and Placita Garcia. Crews will continue to […]

Fire crews are planning to move forward with ignitions on the Canjilon Wildland Urban Interface Project on Thursday, Oct. 19, pending weather. Crews are looking to first treat the 841-acre Blas Unit with broadcast prescribed fire before moving to the 899-acre Montoya Unit. The units are to the south and east of Canjilon, N.M., respectively.  […]

Today, fire crews finalized all hand and aerial ignitions on the 4,000-acre broadcast prescribed fire in the McCrystal Rock Unit within Valle Vidal. The remaining 2,333 acres will be addressed in the future. All resources and firefighters that performed the burn will stay assigned to hold and closely monitor the fire area through tomorrow, 10/16. […]