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The U.S. Forest Service, following a recent investigation, confirmed its own prescribed burn as the trigger for a devastating wildfire in April last year, which perilously encroached upon the city of Los Alamos, New Mexico.

Cerro Pelado Fire: From Prescribed Burn to Wildfire

The wildfire, named the Cerro Pelado Fire, swept across an extensive area of over 60 square miles in the last spring. The wildfire's approach brought it within close proximity of Los Alamos, resulting in school closures and enforced evacuation orders.

The Southwestern Regional Forester, Michiko Martin, traced the fire back to a pile of forest debris commissioned for a burn by the agency. It eventually transformed into a holdover fire and smoldered for several months.

"A Fire That Smolders Undetectably"

Martin elucidated the situation further on Monday, stating, "Our investigation has confirmed that the Cerro Pelado Fire on the Jemez Ranger District of the Santa Fe National Forest was caused by a holdover fire from the Pino West Piles Prescribed Fire, a debris pile burn." He explained that a holdover fire is one that smolders undetectably.

He also highlighted how the New Mexico wildfire offered further proof of how extreme environmental conditions, fuelled by a historic drought in 2022, have ravaged the Santa Fe National Forest.

"Deeply Affected Our Communities": Learning from the New Mexico Wildfire

Following the havoc wreaked by the fire, Martin noted the profound impact on the local communities. "This fire deeply affected our communities. Escaped prescribed fires in 2022 led the Forest Service to implement a 90-day national pause on prescribed fire and review required changes to the prescribed fire program," he said.

The Forest Service has put these changes into practice in the Santa Fe National Forest and plans to initiate an internal declared wildfire review to improve the safety and control of prescribed fires.

Martin also mentioned that Southwestern Region firefighters have begun using handheld thermal devices and drones to detect heat presence in order to prevent future wildfires like the New Mexico incident.

Initial Probe and Ongoing Investigation

The preliminary investigation into the fire's origin was led by a wildland fire investigator from the Department of Natural Resources in Washington state. The probe suggested an ash pit from the earlier prescribed burn as the probable source, yet a definitive conclusion was not reached, leaving the New Mexico wildfire investigation ongoing.