Fire crews this morning are continuing to take suppression actions and make good progress on the El Valle Fire, which is located near the communities of El Valle and Las Trampas between Forest Service roads 207 and 714. The estimated size remains between 200 and 400 acres with no containment. An overnight infrared flight to […]

Carson National Forest fire crews and local fire departments this afternoon continued to take suppression actions on the El Valle Fire, near the community of El Valle, N.M. The fire is estimated to be 200-400 acres. More accurate acreage may be available in the morning after a planned infrared flight this evening or early morning.  […]

Carson National Forest fire crews and local fire departments are taking suppression actions on the 100-acre El Valle Fire on Carson National Forest. It is located in the vicinity of El Valle and Las Trampas, NM. The Taos County Sheriff’s Department has called for the following evacuations, using the Ready, Set, Go! system (List updated […]

With increasing moisture throughout Northern New Mexico, Carson National Forest employees are preparing for several forest restoration projects that will use prescribed fire over the next few months. The exact timing of each project will depend on weather, site conditions and available personnel.  The projects are part of the USDA Forest Service’s Wildfire Crisis Strategy, which […]

Fire crews fully contained the American Mesa Fire today. The lightning-caused fire was first reported on Aug. 5 and burned 386 acres.  The fire, which started off Forest Road 310E on the Jicarilla Ranger District, was first detected during hot, dry and windy conditions, three days after thunderstorms rolled through the area. The weather soon shifted, […]

Fire crews continued suppression efforts on the lightning-caused Madison Fire in Taos Canyon today. The fire is 2.5 acres with 100% containment. The size, previously estimated at 3 acres, was updated after a crewmember walked the fire’s perimeter.  Personnel from the Rio Fernando Volunteer Fire Dept., Taos Pueblo Snowballs, Angel Fire Fire Dept., the Johnson […]

Carson National Forest fire crews responded to a wildfire in Taos Canyon this evening. Here are the latest details: The Forest is maintaining a list of all the small fires from over the last month on its website under Alerts & Notices. Updates will also continue to be posted on social media (Facebook, X) and […]

TAOS, N.M., Aug.  14, 2023 – There is light at the end of the tunnel for the American Mesa Fire as the crews have brought the fire to 82% containment. The size remains at 386 acres. Due to the current weather pattern, infrared (IR) flights are no longer needed and have been canceled. “It was […]

Air Resources are trained to work on smoke issues from wildland fires TAOS, N.M., Aug. 14, 2023 –Being outdoors during a local fire can have detrimental effects on your health. However, even weeks after a fire has been fully contained, you could still be recreating in hazardous air quality. The USDA-Forest Service and partnerships recognized […]

TAOS, N.M., Aug. 12, 2023 – Fire crews have been able to walk the entire perimeter confirming that the fire footprint is smaller than previously estimated. The updated acreage for the American Mesa Fire is 386 acres and it is 71% contained. An infrared (IR) flight to detect residual heat is expected Saturday evening. Abundant […]

TAOS, N.M., Aug. 10, 2023 – Despite sunny, warm conditions over the fire area, the American Mesa Fire continues to hold at 756 acres and is 35% contained. The wildfire is 15 miles southwest of Dulce. “We received some isolated torching of juniper trees,” said Operations Planning Chief Jay Bertek on August 9, “But nothing […]

A Type 3 Incident Management Team, Nevada Team 2, took command of the fire at 6:00 a.m. on August 8. Fire crews have made excellent progress in holding the fire at 756 acres, with 25% containment. “We received an outstanding hand off from Carson National Forest Operations,” said Incident Commander Brian Kitchen, “We want to […]

Firefighters are responding to a new wildfire on the Tres Piedras District to the west zone of the Carson National Forest. The Broke Off Fire is estimated at five acres and the cause is yet to be determined. The fire is located around Broke Off Mountain and Cisneros Springs. Vegetation in the fire area is grass, […]

Despite critical fire weather conditions, crews on the ground and in the air kept growth of the American Mesa Fire at a minimum. The fire is currently 756 acres with 25% containment.  “This fire really wanted to move,” said Jicarilla Ranger District Duty Officer Brent Woffindin. “But our crews worked hard to keep it at […]

Crews are continuing to work the 450-acre American Mesa Fire today by securing the fire’s edge and patrolling for hotspots outside containment lines. Containment remains at 8%. Air resources are expected to be available to assist later today. We are planning to transition management of fire to a Type 3 Incident Management Team this evening. […]

Fire crews and air resources assigned to the American Mesa Fire made initial progress by increasing containment to 8% from 0% today. The fire, which is moving eastward, grew 50 acres from 400. It is located about 16 miles southwest of Dulce, N.M., on the Jicarilla Ranger District.  Numerous air tankers and helicopters worked the fire, […]

With the wildfires come smoke. Strengthening wind is currently pushing smoke from the American Mesa Fire to the east, which may affect areas along the New Mexico-Colorado border and as far south as Dulce, Chama, Tres Piedras and Questa. Other fires are contributing, too: the Lake Fire near Navajo Lake, the Dry Fire on the […]

The latest information on the American Mesa Fire: Fire updates are also posted on InciWeb and Carson National Forest social media channels (Facebook, Twitter).

Carson National Forest fire personnel, with the assistance of a large air tanker, are on scene of the 200-acre American Mesa Fire on the Jicarilla Ranger District, about 16 miles southeast of Arboles, CO. The lightning-caused fire is burning in piñon-juniper habitat. The fire is threatening natural gas infrastructure and is about four miles from […]

Fire crews fully contained the Sierra (pictured) and Cedar Rock fires yesterday. They were the last of 10 lightning-caused fires over the past two weeks to be 100% contained. A full list of recent fires is available on the Carson National Forest website.