Overview

• Relatives of three West Texas residents who died in a flash flood resulting from the largest wildfire in New Mexico’s recorded history are suing the U.S. Forest Service, alleging negligence in the management of the prescribed fire.
• The lawsuit also claims the Forest Service failed to close roads or restrict access to areas at risk for flooding after the Hermit’s Peak/Calf Canyon Fire.
• The fire scorched over 533 square miles in San Miguel, Mora, and Taos counties, an improperly extinguished pile burn operation and a mismanaged prescribed fire that merged, destroying about 900 structures, many being homes.
• No response or settlement offer has been made by the U.S. Forest Service or its parent agency, the U.S. Department of Agriculture to the lawsuit and the initial claims filed earlier.
• Congress has allocated nearly $4 billion for victim compensation, and FEMA claims to have paid over $101 million in losses, but many families maintain that the government is underestimating the damage and emotional distress caused by the fire.