Small 5‐mm‐diam high‐density 3×1017cm−3&Vthgr;‐pinch plasma columns 1‐m long have been heated by intense long‐wavelength laser radiation (10 &mgr;) along their entire length. Refractive beam trapping has been achieved when laser heating begins during or before the &Vthgr;‐pinch implosion. Plasma temperatures have been increased from under 2 eV to maximum values of between 30 and 90 eV, in agreement with a MHD laser heating code.