In May, the U.S. Forest Service started two controlled burns that, unfortunately, became uncontrolled wildfires. The impact on the New Mexico community has been devastating as 432 homes burned down. The Hermits peak burn began in the Pecos/Las Vegas Ranger District of the Santa Fe National Forest and became out of control as the wind caused the fire to spread outside the burn boundary. The Calf Canyon Fire started on April 19, and the two fires eventually merged into the largest wildfire to sweep New Mexico.
Forest Service says it started all of New Mexico's largest wildfire https://t.co/Yo60K6k3gC pic.twitter.com/yWZH8GmxAJ
— Reuters (@Reuters) May 28, 2022
President Joe Biden reassured residents as he promised that the U.S. government would be footing the bill. During a June 11 speech at the New Mexico State Regional, Training Installation Facility, Biden comforted those affected by the blaze,
“Today, I’m announcing the federal government’s covering 100 percent of the cost,”
Biden says U.S. will pay the bill for New Mexico wildfire recovery https://t.co/7Nbr0ZDPpj pic.twitter.com/Tqh3EbGiHe
— Reuters (@Reuters) June 12, 2022
Shortly after the destruction, New Mexico’s Governor Grisham demanded that FEMA cover the expenses caused by the blaze.
Unfortunately, the federal government, under Biden’s leadership, has failed to take care of the problem they started.
After starting New Mexico fire, U.S. asks victims to pay https://t.co/QmdSQo8Dhc pic.twitter.com/s8GBXxXDHf
— Reuters (@Reuters) July 31, 2022
The burn damage mainly occurred on private property. And as of now, many victims are still waiting on help, the Western Journal reports. Unfortunately, many have been given the runaround and are now being told they have to pay a share of the recovery costs. Which is an expense many cannot afford.
The U.S. government started the largest wildfire in New Mexico’s recorded history this April, but is now asking victims to share in the recovery costs, according to Reuters. https://t.co/KlgLmGE3mB
— 🇺🇸Lionel🇺🇸 (@LionelMedia) August 1, 2022
With the Biden administration’s failure to respond, residents complain that if you don’t have insurance, you are on your own; many don’t.
Some of the land affected has been in families for two hundred years, passed down from the Mexican-Spanish land grants.
'Our mountains are gone': Grief as sacred New Mexico forests burn https://t.co/3EFKMhAaxR pic.twitter.com/b1VwjTDTQR
— Reuters (@Reuters) May 10, 2022