That has put hundreds, perhaps thousands, of residents of San Miguel and Mora counties in harm's way as they try to recover from the fire's impacts on their homes, livelihoods and, in many instances, their way of life. The largest wildfire in New Mexico's recorded history has left a sprawling burn scar that will be prone to flooding. While federal, state and local agencies work to combat flooding by building structures to control erosion, reduce debris flows and curb stormwater that could cascade down slopes, canyons and arroyos, they also have said they can do only so much in such a massive area. National Weather Service forecasts call for 1 to 2 inches of rain between Sunday and Wednesday in much of Central and Western New Mexico, with highlands getting as much as 4 inches.įlash-flood warnings were issued Saturday in Mora County, but meteorologists with the incident management team assigned to the Hermits Peak/Calf Canyon Fire said the threat is likely to be higher in days ahead. "There will be impacts to water and wastewater systems, roads and bridges, farms and fields, and outdoor recreation areas," State Forester Laura McCarthy said at a Friday news conference. Officials have warned for weeks that the scorched hillsides would become spillways for runoff carrying ashy sediment and debris because there's far less tree cover and vegetation to catch the rain, and severely burned soil can't absorb water. But it promises to be a mixed bag - dampening the flames and the dry fuels the fire feeds on but also heightening flash-flood risks. The monsoon fire managers had hoped for is materializing, and a bit ahead of schedule. The blaze's burn area is now more than 341,000 acres and remains active on its western side, particularly in the Pecos Wilderness, where it grew by 15,000 acres during runs last week in dry, windy weather. Forest Service went awry and melded into the mammoth Hermits Peak/Calf Canyon Fire in April. It's going to come from there and hit my house."įor residents like Huerta, there has been no letup in the looming threats in the environment since two prescribed burns conducted by the U.S. "I'm going to keep going," Huerta said Friday.
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