USFS plans two burns near Taos

TAOS, N.M. (KRQE) - Prescribed burns in northern New Mexico will generate smoke plumes visible from busy highways, the U.S. Forest Service announced Monday.

One burn is the continuation of a previous project that treated 275 acres of the Carson National Forest in the Red Mesa area southwest of Tres Piedras.

The other is 1-3 miles northeast of Truchas on Forest Road 155 in the Camino Real Ranger District southeast of Taos.

The Red Mesa burn on Tuesday and Wednesday is planned to treat 350 acres of ground cover and 250 acres of slash piles, according to a news release from the Forest Service.

Smoke will be visible from Tres Piedras, Taos, Petaca, Las Tablas and other communities and for travelers on U.S. Highway 64 and 285.

The Francisco burn near Truchas is a 1,000-acre project delayed by unfavorable weather and now scheduled for Thursday and Friday.  Smoke will be visible from Truchas, Ojo Sarco, El Valle, Chamisal and Peñasco.

Both burns are intended to reduce the threat of wildfires and improve forest habitat.

Additional information on how to measure the smoke rish and its potential effects on people with respiratory ailments can be found on the New Mexico Department of Health website .