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Taking advantage of fall weather, Carson National Forest fire managers are planning to begin prescribed fire ignitions to improve forest health and resilience as early as Oct. 1. Crews plan to start with the American Creek Prescribed Fire to the west of Tres Piedras, N.M.

The exact timing of ignitions will depend on wind, weather and fuel moisture conditions.

Crews will apply fire to the understory of forested areas, targeting fuels on the forest floor, such as leaf litter, downed branches and brush. The fire may fully burn occasional single trees or stands, which will help create an open canopy.

The 1,009-acre prescribed fire is part of the Rio Tusas-Lower San Antonio Landscape Restoration Project, which aims to restore forest health throughout half of the Tres Piedras Ranger District.

The project fits into a larger initiative called the Rio Chama Collaborative Forest Landscape Restoration Project, which seeks to protect forest communities and increase the health of the watershed, which serves millions of people downstream. It covers 3.8 million acres across in New Mexico and Colorado in and around four national forests.

Over the last century, forested areas have departed from conditions suitable for a healthy and vibrant ecosystem. This is especially true in frequent fire forest types, such as ponderosa and dry mixed conifer, where stands are unnaturally dense and lacking recent fire history. Upland forest health is inextricably connected to riparian areas that, in this case, ultimately feed the Rio Chama and Rio Grande.

The public can keep updated with the prescribed fire on InciWeb, where a map can be viewed. General notifications are also available by email, social media and the web.

A new Carson National Forest website section includes more information about prescribed fires, including smoke readiness, fire ecology and new approaches for safer operations.

A limited number of portable air filters, donated by the Forest Stewards Guild, are available for loan. Call the Tres Piedras Ranger Station at (575) 758-8678 for availability.