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Prescribed Fire Update: Crews Begin More Treatments 10-08-2024
Sotano Prescribed Fire, La Jara and Apache Prescribed Fire
Publication Type: News - 10/07/2024 - 21:11
Ignitions Near El Rito Began Today; More Planned Near Angel Fire Tomorrow
Fire crews are back this week with more prescribed fire treatments to reduce the threat of wildfire to communities, infrastructure and natural resources. They started this morning on the Sotano Unit near El Rito and Vallecitos in Rio Arriba County.
About half of the 2,365-acre Sotano Unit was treated by Forest Service personnel with the assistance of crews from the State of New Mexico, Bureau of Land Management and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. They plan to continue ignitions on Tuesday.
Meanwhile on the other side of the forest, crews plan to begin the La Jara and Apache Prescribed Fire near the community of Taos Pines, which is northwest of Angel Fire, on Tuesday. They will begin ignitions at the forest boundary with the neighborhood, where fire managers have closely coordinated with the community’s homeowner’s association and Firewise USA board to ensure a smooth operation.
Smoke and Community Notifications
Like today, treatments will produce smoke that can drift near and far from project sites. Fire managers coordinate with the New Mexico Environment Department to conduct ignitions on days when smoke impacts are minimized.
Unlike large wildfires, prescribed fires are short-term in duration and planned with advance notice. Residents and visitors are encouraged to keep updated with prescribed fire and other Carson National Forest news by joining the forest news release list, among other options like following on social media and using NMFireInfo.com.
A limited number of portable air purifiers with HEPA filters, donated by the Forest Stewards Guild, are available for loan during prescribed fires on the Canjilon, El Rito and Tres Piedras ranger districts. Residents near the Sotano Prescribed Fire can call the El Rito Ranger Station at (575) 581-4554 for availability.
Why Prescribed Fire?
Most of the vegetation on the Carson National Forest is adapted to recurrent wildland fires started by lightning. Properly managed fire, especially when combined with prior thinning and fuelwood collection, is a tool for restoring these fire-dependent ecosystems that have become unbalanced over the last century.
Learn more about the fire ecology of the Carson National Forest on a new prescribed fire website section.