Miscalculations blamed for historic wildfire

ALBUQUERQUE — Multiple miscalculations, inaccurate models and a lack of understanding of just how dry things are in the Southwest resulted in a planned burn to reduce the threat of wildfire turning into the largest blaze in New Mexico’s recorded history, the U.S. Forest Service said Tuesday.

The agency quietly posted an 80-page review that details the planning missteps and the conditions on the ground as crews ignited the prescribed fire in early April. The report states officials who planned the operation underestimated the amount of timber and vegetation that was available to fuel the flames, the exceptional dry conditions and the rural villages to water supplies that would be threatened if things went awry.

Within hours of lighting a test fire on that April day, multiple spot fires were reported outside containment lines and there were not enough resources or water to rein them in.

“The devastating impact of this fire to the communities and livelihoods of those affected ... demanded this level of review to ensure we understand how this tragic event unfolded,” U.S. Forest Chief Randy Moore wrote. “I cannot overstate how heartbreaking these impacts are on communities.”

As of Tuesday, the blaze had charred more than 533 square miles, making it the largest fire to have burned this spring in the U.S. It comes during a particularly ferocious season in which fire danger in overgrown forests around the West has reached historic levels due to drought and warmer weather brought on by climate change.