To continue to reduce the threat of wildfire in Los Alamos, the Parks Division, in cooperation with the Los Alamos Fire Department and the Santa Fe National Forest, plans to conduct a series of pile burning operations this winter. Burning is planned any window of favorable weather conditions between January 13, 2012 and March 30, 2012.

Update, February 11, 2011 12:00 PM:  

Another round of pile burn operations has been successfully completed. About 150 piles located behind the Posse Shack on North Mesa and in Bayo Canyon between the North Mesa Stable Area and Camino Encantado were burned on Friday. On Saturday, wildland firefighters moved into Barrancas Canyon between Deer Trap Mesa, Los Pueblos and Totavi to burn another 150 piles.

About a dozen large logs and one standing snag continue to burn In Barrancas Canyon. The logs and snag are surrounded by snow and are secure from spreading into the very wet grasses in the canyon. Lingering smoke will be visible Sunday and beyond. The plies will continue to be monitored until they are totally consumed.

In the past two months, fire crews have reduced fuels 75 acres of County open space.

Call 663-1776 for more information.

Burned piles and burning piles, January 28, 2009

What:

• Burning slash piles in thinned forest areas on Los Alamos County Open Space

Where:

Additional proposed locations for 2011-2012:

• 12 acres in Pueblo Canyon below the airport
• 5 acres in Pueblo Canyon below Villa Street
• 70 acres in Bayo Canyon below Barranca Mesa
• 5 acres in Bayo Canyon behind the Posse Shack
• Up to 60 acres in Barrancas Canyon below Navajo, Totavi, and Los Pueblos

When:

During periods of favorable weather between January 3, 2012 and March 30, 2012. Piles will be burned when smoke dissipation is favorable and humidity is high. With favorable weather, burning will take place on up to 20 days. To avoid continued smoke in individual neighborhoods, crews will limit the number of burn days in each canyon to no more than five.

Who:

Los Alamos County Parks Division, Los Alamos Fire Department, Santa Fe National Forest wildland firefighters

Why:

In areas thinned by the Fuel Mitigation Project, dead and down wood has been cut and piled. The remaining fuel poses a threat of firebrands (glowing embers) that could be launched into adjacent neighborhoods during a wind-driven wildfire.

ISSUES

How is maintenance burning different from prescribed burning?

In prescribed burns, the purpose is often to kill live, standing trees. The County’s maintenance burns are designed to reduce fuel on the surface: grass, pine needles, and dead and down wood. The purpose is to reduce the potential for rapid fire spread that might launch a shower of embers into adjacent neighborhoods.

In a broadcast burn, fire is applied to grass, pine needles, and leaf litter. Flame height is generally less than three feet. Pile burning is a series of isolated stacks of burning woody debris. The chance of fire spread, especially with snow on the ground, is minimal.

How about the smoke generated by the burns?

Burning on County Open Space has taken place during each of the past three winters. Several factors reduce the volume of smoke: the piles are dry and burn quickly, only a small number of piles are burned at one time, and every effort is made to burn under conditions that lift the smoke straight up before it drifts over the landscape. Burning will take place between 8 AM and 3 PM. Anyone concerned about smoke can ask to receive a phone call the evening before the burns so that they may make plans to avoid the smoky area (contact the Parks Division at 663-1776).