A wildfire in northern New Mexico that destroyed at least 330 homes and displaced thousands of people was caused by a burning planned by the U.S. Forest Service, federal fire investigators said Friday.
The Calf Canyon fire escaped the containment lines and merged with the Hermits Peak fire, which was also caused by a planned out-of-control fire, to form the largest forest fire in the history of Newfoundland. Mexico.
The combined fire at Calf Canyon / Hermits Peak has burned more than 312,000 acres, threatening remote mountain villages and forcing thousands to evacuate, sometimes repeatedly, over the past two months.
The fire was contained at 47 percent Friday morning, the National Forest Fire Coordination Group said. He warned that the Memorial Day holiday weekend could pose more challenges for firefighters due to increased traffic and recreational activities that could cause fires in dry, hot weather. Firefighters warned of the use, among other things, of bonfires and wood stoves.
Planned burns, or prescribed fires, are important forest fire management tools that burn vegetation to limit the potential fuel for these fires. They rarely grow out of control, officials said.
Forest Service investigators said the Calf Canyon fire stemmed from a “pile burn” that had been dormant from January to April, when smoke was reported in the burning area. which he had concluded on the 29th of January.
Investigators said teams controlled the 1.5-hectare fire to make sure there were no signs of flames or heat on its edges. On April 19, 10 days after the smoke was reported, the fire re-ignited and escaped its containment lines.
On April 22, strong winds caused the fire to spread and merge with that of Hermits Peak, which the Forest Service said in April had also been caused by a prescribed burn. The Forest Service did not specify how it lost control of the two fires.
Debbie Cress, Santa Fe National Forest Supervisor, said in a statement that the agency was “100 percent focused on putting out these fires.”
“Our commitment is to manage the public lands that are entrusted to us by improving the resilience of the forest to the many stressors they face, such as larger and warmer forest fires, historical drought levels, rising temperatures. and insects and diseases, “said Ms. Cress.
In response to the findings of fire investigators, New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham said the federal government needs to look at its fire management practices and how they take climate change into account.
“This is a first step for the federal government to take full responsibility for the largest forest fire in the state’s history, which has destroyed hundreds of homes, displaced tens of thousands of new Mexicans and cost governments millions of dollars. state and local, “he said. a statement.
In the western United States, wildfires burn more frequently and intensely, and seasons of wildfires lengthen, reducing the windows for prescribed burns. Recent research has suggested that heat and drought associated with global warming caused by humans are the main reasons for the increase in larger and stronger forest fires.
Lisa Dale, a Columbia Climate School teacher, said prescribed burns are the best tools available to reduce the long-term risk of wildfires. They clean up vegetation that would otherwise feed an unwanted fire and recognize that forests depend on fire to stay healthy.
“I hope that the consequences of this incident will not lead to long-term policy changes that will continue to limit our ability to use this tool,” said Dr. Dale.
He said climate change has made it more difficult to use prescribed fires because fire seasons have increased from seven to eight months by about three months. The increasing intensity of the fires has also hampered the response of fire managers.
Forest Service chief Randy Moore said last week that the agency would pause the use of prescribed fires on the agency’s land.
Mr. Moore said during the break, the agency will conduct a 90-day review of its protocols and practices for prescribed fires. The break coincides with the time of year when planned burns are less frequent. More than 90 percent of the agency’s planned fires take place between September and May.
Mr. Moore said the Forest Service monitors an average of 4,500 prescribed fires each year and that “in 99.84 percent of cases, prescribed fires go as planned.”