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Oct. 29, 2023—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 it from spreading across the forest floor. 

Crew members traversed steep slopes with drip torches, lighting piles mostly created from trees felled during the December 2021 snow squall. Other downed and piled trees and branches are the result of hazard tree mitigation and trail development. 

Fire qualified staff from Taos Ski Valley joined crew members from Village of Taos Ski Valley Fire Dept., Red River Fire Dept., Latir Volunteer Fire Department, Taos County Fire Dept. and Carson National Forest. 

With 163 acres remaining, fire managers plan to continue the operation on Monday and into the week, as weather and conditions allow. 

Piles visible along Highway 150 and the Wheeler Peak Trail are slated for burning this winter. They were created from 300 acres of thinning as part of the Highway 150 Corridor Wildland Urban Interface Project. 

Both projects are in the Enchanted Circle Landscape and support efforts of the Wildfire Crisis Strategy.