New Mexico wildfires are becoming a major problem this year, with more acres burned than ever before. The drought-stricken state has been hammered by winds, low humidity and heat.

As climate change continues to dry forests across the west, fires are more likely to become a regular occurrence. That’s where prescribed burns come in.
Hermits Peak/Calf Canyon Fire

In late April and early May, the Hermits Peak/Calf Canyon Fire grew rapidly, fueled by 'unprecedented' wildfire fire weather conditions. As a result, the acreage of the Fire increased by thousands of acres per day. It eventually became the largest wildfire in New Mexico history.

The Hermits Peak/Calf Canyon Fire caused extensive damage to homes and property in San Miguel and Mora Counties. It destroyed more than 900 structures and scorched 341,735 acres of land, according to the United States Forest Service.

Several counties in the state have declared a local emergency. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is working to assist impacted residents.

FEMA has established the Hermits Peak/Calf Canyon Claims Office to evaluate, process, and pay claims for damage to real property resulting from the Hermits Peak/Calf Canyon fire. The process is designed to expedite the resolution of claims and provide sensitivity to claimants' situations in administering the process.

This Interim Final Rule adds an amendment to the process to pay actual compensatory damages for injuries sustained by individuals and/or their property as a result of the Hermits Peak/Calf Canyonfire. This amendment is intended to provide clarity in the process by incorporating several key changes to the process.

First, claimants must submit a Notice of Loss form. This form must include a brief description of the individual's injury.

Once the Notice of Loss is submitted, FEMA will review and process all of the underlying evidence in order to determine the appropriate compensation level for each injured person. Claimants should make an effort to collect and submit all medical records, insurance claims, appraisals, receipts, and other supporting evidence as soon as possible.

Second, FEMA will reimburse claimants for flood insurance premiums if the Hermits Peak/Calf Canyonfire prompted them to purchase flood insurance. If the Hermits Peak/Calf Canyonfire resulted in a loss of property or business, FEMA will also reimburse the claimant for the cost of obtaining business interruption insurance or other coverage to help them recover financially from the Hermits Peak/Calf canyonfire.

Third, FEMA will reimburse claimants for out of pocket expenses incurred for treatment of mental health conditions. This includes services rendered by licensed mental health professionals and expenses for a variety of services, such as counseling, psychotherapy, and support groups.
Nogal Canyon Fire

The Nogal Canyon Fire, a 412-acre blaze that began Tuesday when power lines fell in 50-90 mph winds, is 84% contained and has destroyed six homes. It is burning on private and U.S. Forest Service land in mixed conifer fuels, a type of vegetation that is particularly prone to burn.

Lincoln County and Otero County have issued red flag warnings, which prohibit firefighting and other activities that may cause fires to spread, such as welding and camping. There are also fire restrictions on a portion of the Lincoln National Forest in both counties.

Evacuations remain in place for Moon Mountain, Nogal Canyon and Gavilan Canyon areas, and the Village of Ruidoso to N.M. 37, as well as the areas east of Ruidoso, including McBride, Snowcap and Timberline; Homestead Acres/Lower Eagle Creek; Rancho Ruidoso Valley Estates and Deer Valley/Deer Park.

A Type 1 Incident Management Team has joined Lincoln County firefighters and the U.S. Forest Service to fight the fire. The team has a total of 250 people working on the blaze and more are being ordered.

While it is a good sign that the Nogal Canyon Fire has been largely contained, officials said there were still hot spots that needed to be addressed and the fire’s perimeter is not entirely clear. They were concentrating on slurry and water drops to keep the fire from advancing in certain spots.

The Nogal Canyon Fire has displaced several people, and some are staying in a temporary shelter at the Ruidoso River Resort. Bob Moroney, who works for a company that manages nightly rentals at the complex, said three different groups of people are staying there.

Meg Sandoval, a 65-year-old woman whose family settled in the area in the 1840s, said she is living out of a pickup camper shell while waiting for her house to be repaired. She is concerned about getting enough compensation to cover her losses and is working with a group of New Mexico lawmakers to introduce legislation that could help people get better compensation.

President Biden visited New Mexico last month to offer his condolences and to announce that federal disaster relief funds would be expanded to cover 100 percent of the cost of temporary housing and cleanup in the first 90 days following wildfire damage. The bill was cosponsored by Senator Martin Heinrich, D-New Mexico.
McBride Fire

In Ruidoso, a small resort town in the Sierra Blanca mountains about 135 miles southeast of Albuquerque, the McBride Fire is causing havoc. It has ripped through a densely populated area and has destroyed or damaged at least 200 homes, a federal agency says.

The fire began Tuesday afternoon in a remote area south of Warrior Road, just west of the Lincoln National Forest. By Wednesday, it had burned through more than 5,381 acres and was still zero percent contained.

A new report released on Tuesday found that federal forest managers made critical mistakes when they ignited a prescribed burn to try to reduce the threat of wildfires in the area. It said the agency’s employees made multiple miscalculations, used inaccurate models and underestimated how dry conditions were in the region.

Those mistakes led to the explosion of the largest wildfire in the state’s history. It has destroyed or damaged more than 200 homes, according to the U.S. Forest Service, and is threatening to destroy more.

One of the biggest concerns about the fire is that it’s already upsetting people in the community. It has a year-round population of around 8,000, but is also home to an influx of tourists during the summer as they seek relief from hot temperatures in other parts of the state.

Residents are concerned that the fire, which has killed two people and destroyed 207 homes, could cause more damage to their property. They also want to know what will happen to their water supply and how much it will cost to repair the damage.

A Burned Area Emergency Response (BAER) team is beginning to assess the effects of the fire on the area. This includes hydrologists, geologists, soil scientists, road engineers, botanists, biologists and other specialists from both federal and state agencies.

They are looking at how the fire has affected soils, hydrology, wildlife, biology, roads, recreation, weeds and cultural resources. They’re also assessing the potential for flooding and mudslides.

Meanwhile, some homeowners are trying to get compensation for their losses. Antonia Roybal-Mack, an attorney in Albuquerque, grew up in the area torched by this year’s fire. She’s eyeing a legal challenge against the Forest Service.
Big Hole Fire

The Big Hole Fire in Valencia County is estimated to be 850 acres and 0% contained. The Forestry Division, Valencia County Fire Department, and numerous other fire agencies continue to work on strengthening containment lines around the fire.

This fire is threatening the community of Belen, located north of River Road in Valencia County. It is being actively fought by multiple crews and a type 1 helicopter from Phoenix is expected to arrive today to assist with water drops.

It is a Red Flag day and conditions are expected to remain this way through this evening, so we are asking everyone to keep their windows and doors closed and evacuate any structures that they are unable to safely leave. There are a number of towns currently under evacuation orders, including Trout Springs, Ledoux, Mora and Cleveland.

A wildfire that has swept through northern New Mexico is on track to destroy more than 200 homes, according to the state’s governor, Michelle Lujan Grisham. It’s the latest in a series of wind-driven blazes that have raged in April, well before the traditional wildfire season.

More than half a million acres of land have burned in the first few months of this year, according to the state’s Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, and weather forecasters say it could get worse. The biggest of the fires, called the Hermits Peak/Calf Canyon Fire, merged with two other major blazes that sparked in spring.

In a region where Hispanic villagers settled centuries ago, the fire has displaced thousands of people. It has devastated the landscape, leaving scars that stretch from the mountains to the river.

As the fire burns through the high-altitude forest, the air smells of ash. It’s hard to breathe, and the dusty residue of charred trees settles into the ground like snow.

At the edge of a canyon in Tierra Monte, the smoke still fills the air. It’s hard to believe that once this area was a thick canopy, where the sun’s rays would hit the tops of towering ponderosa pines and light up the landscape. But the blazes, set by the Forest Service as prescribed burns to clear out small trees and brush, have changed everything.