Hometown News

“Fall offers the most consistent weather to safely return beneficial fire to the landscape,” said Fuels & Fire Staff Officer Jamie Long. “The work this season will help protect communities and the natural resources we all depend on.”

Fire crews and contractors spent the summer preparing the perimeters of prescribed fire units by building control lines and clearing brush along them. When it comes time for ignitions, they will use understory and jackpot burning, with locations from Valle Vidal to Ojo Sarco on the east side and from Tres Piedras to Canjilon on the west side. A full list of potential locations is available online.

When persistent rain or snow falls, fire crews will pivot to pile burning. A list of locations will be released later.

Ignition notifications for each prescribed fire are typically released a few days in advance but could be as short as a day for smaller projects. Residents and visitors interested in the notices and other forest information can sign up at https://www.fs.usda.gov/r03/carson/keep-in-touch. Announcements will also be posted to social media (Facebook, X) and New Mexico Fire Information.

An overview of prescribed fire use on the Carson National Forest is available online.

Get Smoke Ready

Unlike large wildfires, prescribed fires are short-term in duration and planned with advance notice. Staff coordinate with the N.M. Environment Department to conduct ignitions on days when smoke impacts are minimized. Nonetheless, smoke will be present and may settle in some local or farther out areas in the evenings and overnight. Use these tips to prepare, which are also useful during wildfire season.

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