2023-07-25 03:40:03
SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — A federal Forest Service-ordered burn sparked a massive wildfire in 2022 that came close to reaching Los Alamos, New Mexico, the agency acknowledged Monday in a report released following a lengthy investigation.
The Cerro Pelado fire burned in dry, windy conditions across more than 60 square miles (155 square kilometers) and came within a few miles of the city of Los Alamos, where a national laboratory is located. As the flames grew closer, authorities ordered schools to close and evacuations were prepared until the fire was finally brought under control.
Investigators traced the origin of the fire to a Forest Service-ordered burn of piles of forest debris. The burn became a smear fire, burning undetected under wet snow and with no hint of smoke or heat for months, Southwest Regional Ranger Michiko Martin said.
After the news broke, New Mexico political leaders quickly lashed out at the Forest Service, including Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham. The state president said she was “outraged by the negligence of the federal Forest Service that caused this destruction.” Episodes of intense heat and arid weather in recent years have raised concerns regarding planned burning as a technique for removing forest debris, concerns joined by Lujan Grisham.
The federal government has already acknowledged that it started the largest wildfire in state history, consuming more than 530 square miles (1,373 square kilometers) in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains east of Santa Fe, New Mexico, destroying homes and livelihoods.
The Forest Service suspended all controlled burn operations for 90 days this spring while conducting a review of procedures and policies. Toward the end of the moratorium, managers realized they cannot depend on past successes and must continually learn and adapt to changing conditions, Forest Service Director Randy Moore said during a recent meeting with New Mexico lawmakers.
Firefighters now control waste pile burns using portable thermal devices and drones that can detect heat, Martin said Monday.
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