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.
