Single Incident Information

Fire crews may begin ignitions as early as Oct. 13. The exact day of ignitions will depend on wind, weather and fuel moisture conditions. 

The prescribed fire is 8,288 acres and is located on the western side of Valle Vidal near Costilla Dam to the north and Holman Creek to the south. It is bounded by forest roads 1900, 1950, old logging roads and built control line (map). Ignitions are expected to last up to seven days.

Regular fire helps restore the ecosystem and can reduce the threat of a catastrophic wildfire severely affecting the recently restored population of Rio Grande cutthroat trout, a project over 20 years in the making. It also helps maintain productive rangelands that support local grazers.

This work is part of the Wildfire Crisis Strategy, a national initiative to reduce the threat of wildfire to communities, infrastructure (e.g. Costilla Dam), and natural resources (e.g. Rio Costilla Watershed). The Enchanted Circle Landscape is one of the strategy’s priorities.

More Information

• Smoke Readiness
• New Approaches to Prescribed Fire
• More about Early Fall 2024 Projects