President Joe Biden said the government will cover “100 percent” of the recovery costs in response to the largest wildfire in New Mexico’s history, also the largest fire in the United States so far this year.
The Calf Canyon Fire and the Hermits Peak Fire were originally “prescribed burns,” conducted as part of the U.S. Forest Service’s forest management measures. The burns escaped containment lines and merged into one and became the largest wildfire in state history in mid-May. It has now burned over 300,000 acres.
The prescribed burn that caused the Calf Canyon fire was concluded on Jan. 29, but it later reignited, and escaped containment lines on April 19. On April 23, amid strong winds that exacerbated the fire spread, it merged with the Hermits Peak Fire, which was also a prescribed burn that escaped containment lines on April 6….