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Dec. 7, 2023-Fire crews completed ignitions on most of the Ojo Sarco Unit today, leaving piles from just 12 acres of thinning untouched. The remaining piles are in a gully with no snow around them. 

Crews will continue patrolling and holding on Friday but will not conduct ignitions due to forecasted winds. The unit is completely surrounded by control features, such as Highway 76 and containment lines. 

A chance of snow over Friday night might bring suitable conditions for burning the remaining piles Saturday. If not, they will be addressed in the future. 

Forest Service crews were joined by a number of local cooperators. Members of the Ojo Sarco Volunteer Fire Department patrolled neighborhoods to speak to residents while fire personnel from the Latir Volunteer Fire Department, Red River, Taos County and the Forest Stewards Guild’s All-Hands All-Lands Burn Team were assigned to firing and holding groups. A Picuris Pueblo engine crew was on standby as a contingency resource. 

This work is part of the Green Fuelwood Areas Project to provide residents with fuelwood opportunities and address forest health and resiliency. The area was a public green fuelwood gathering area in 2016, followed by thinning, piling and burning of underbrush. Dead and down fuelwood gathering has been ongoing. 

Operational updates for this project are posted to InciWeb and Carson National Forest social media (Facebook, X).