Wildfire

Only a quarter of seedlings planted after wildfires grow into trees. That’s a challenge forest managers are facing across the Southwest while drought and rising temperatures are causing wildfires to burn hotter and larger. But, one research team at the University of New Mexico may have found a way to ease the hard, manual labor of reseeding by better predicting seedling survival rates.

Fire crews have now fully contained New Mexico's largest recorded wildfire. In the past few months, the fire left not only the ash of trees and homes in its wake––but also a broken community.

For thousands affected by the Calf Canyon Hermit's Peak fire, life has changed forever. They face a long, uncertain wait for compensation and many are considering suing the US Forest Service

After days of higher activity on the two largest wildfires in New Mexico history due to hot, dry weather, relief appears to be on the way as the monsoon season starts up. But rains on a burn scar can bring new trouble: flash floods.

As New Mexico’s largest wildfire continues to burn, residents are trying to focus on rebuilding. The federal government has pledged help for those who lost property or jobs due to the fire. But residents living on land grants distributed by Spanish rulers centuries ago may not qualify for that aid.

Without intervention, in a few weeks rains will likely sweep trees and soil into the Gallinas river, which would contaminate the water and clog a treatment system that diverts the river’s water into reservoirs and a treatment plant.

Victims of New Mexico's largest fire are now reporting claims of identity theft on disaster assistance applications. Now, officials are vowing to find and prosecute people who take advantage of the loss of livelihoods and property.

Some fear the fire will catalyze a change in a way of life that has endured for centuries, and in which beloved and unique traditions are embedded.

New Mexico is in the middle of one of its most devastating fire seasons to date –– with the largest wildfire in the state’s history scorching hundreds of thousands of acres of land. This week on Let’s Talk New Mexico, we’ll discuss year-round forest management practices designed to stop fires like these from happening, a controversial planned burn that became the Hermits Peak Fire, and the evolving role of firefighting in the U.S.

As the efforts of thousands of firefighters battling flames across New Mexico are complicated by fierce winds and drought, officials say drones are another factor slowing their work.