Northern New Mexico communities, still reeling from the devastating 2022 Hermit’s Peak-Calf Canyon Fire, now face a persistent and deadly crisis: catastrophic post-wildfire flooding and poisoned water wells, transforming once-vibrant landscapes into a “21st-century Dust Bowl.”
Years after the largest wildfire in New Mexico history ravaged its mountains, residents of remote villages like Mora are grappling with a relentless and unforeseen aftermath: devastating flash floods and critically poisoned water wells. This ongoing crisis, described by some as the “21st century’s Dust Bowl,” highlights the long-term ecological and human toll of extreme wildfires, a threat intensified by a changing climate across the Western United States.
For individuals like Victoria Lovato, a 41-year-old rancher in Mora, the battle is intensely personal. Her 52-acre ranch, situated about 40 miles (64 km) northeast of Santa Fe, has been inundated by muddy torrents over two dozen times since the 2022 Hermit’s Peak-Calf Canyon Fire. This fire, inadvertently sparked by two botched prescribed burns by the U.S. Forest Service, scorched the mountains above her property, transforming the landscape and setting the stage for subsequent disasters.
The Devastating Cycle: Fire, Soil, and Water
The intensity of the Hermit’s Peak-Calf Canyon Fire, fueled by drought conditions, was so extreme that it melted rocks and baked the earth to the consistency of asphalt. This high-severity burn had a catastrophic effect on the land’s hydrology. With no trees or scrub to slow its flow, and the soil no longer able to absorb water, rain now cascades off the burn scar like water off a parking lot, carrying away soil and boulders in violent flash floods and debris flows.
This phenomenon is not isolated to New Mexico. Across the Western United States, climate change is contributing to larger and hotter blazes, making post-wildfire flooding an increasingly widespread and deadly threat. Roads are washed out, homes rendered unlivable due to mold, and crucial infrastructure like water treatment plants are knocked out. The implications are staggering, as highlighted by a study published in Nature Sustainability, which reported that the number of Americans exposed to wildfires doubled to nearly 22 million in the past two decades.
U.S. Geological Survey hydrologist Jason Kean meticulously maps burn areas to assess risks. Last year alone, his work covered over 105 fires spanning 6 million acres, an area nearly twice the size of Connecticut. With flood risks potentially lasting up to a decade, the vulnerable terrain susceptible to flash flooding continues to grow each year, accumulating vast areas of danger.
More Deadly Than Fire Itself
While the Hermit’s Peak-Calf Canyon Fire tragically burned hundreds of homes, it caused no direct fatalities. However, its aftermath has proven more lethal. In New Mexico, post-wildfire flooding has killed seven people in the last five years, surpassing the five lives lost directly to fires during the same period. These incidents include a motorist drowned in a 2022 flood and a fatal traffic accident caused by a washed-out highway in July of the same year.
The broader national picture on post-wildfire deaths and flooding remains underdeveloped, with states like Washington, Utah, and Colorado only recently launching disaster mitigation programs in the last six years. Collin Haffey, head of Washington state’s post-fire recovery program, starkly likened the current situation to the “21st century’s Dust Bowl,” drawing parallels to the severe soil erosion and forced migrations of the 1930s.
Poisoned Wells and Community Exodus
The destructive power of the floods extends beyond property damage. In Mora County, one of the poorest in the U.S., dozens of homes have been abandoned or demolished due to severe mold infestation. Even more alarmingly, an October study by Zeigler Geologic Consulting revealed that flash flooding has carried toxic heavy metals from airborne fire retardant into local wells, poisoning vital water sources for communities.
This relentless cycle of disaster has led to a heartbreaking exodus. Dozens of families and businesses have left Mora and San Miguel counties, which have a combined population of around 30,000. Many residents, including Victoria Lovato, report increasing difficulty in securing assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), which they claim has been less responsive since perceived dismantling and job cuts under the previous presidential administration.
The Quest for Solutions and Lingering Frustration
While the problem is immense, efforts are underway, albeit slowly. The New Mexico Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management is collaborating with the U.S. Forest Service and Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) to identify funding for critical watershed restoration. The state agency has also launched a public survey to pinpoint high-hazard areas and develop potential projects.
However, local leaders emphasize the need for a comprehensive, upstream approach. Mora County Commission Chair George Trujillo highlighted a $41 million plan to repair roads but insisted that true long-term solutions require restoring mountain watersheds managed by the USFS and private landowners. “It doesn’t make no sense for us to fix it in the bottom if they don’t fix it up top,” Trujillo stated, pointing to the fragmented ownership of land where floodwaters originate.
The frustration is palpable among residents. Victoria Lovato expressed despair over county officials prioritizing paving her dirt road over essential watershed restoration efforts. For her and many others in New Mexico, what’s needed is not just repair, but a fundamental shift in strategy. They demand a “true solution” that addresses the root causes of the post-wildfire flood crisis, ensuring the long-term viability and safety of their ancestral lands.
The genesis of this ongoing disaster—the 2022 fire caused by mismanaged federal burns—has been a point of contention and formal acknowledgment. In the aftermath, the U.S. Forest Service took responsibility for starting the massive wildfire, as widely reported by organizations such as the Associated Press, underscoring the critical need for improved land management practices to prevent future catastrophes.
