Click the link to read the article on the Circle of Blue website (Christian Thorsberg):
October 23, 2025
Three years after the Hermit’s Peak/Calf Canyon wildfire burned over 500 square miles in New Mexico — cementing the blaze as the state’s largest-ever — residents are feeling the ripple effects of flood damage and water insecurity.
Flash flooding is common following large burns, and the risks can last for a decade or more. Charred soils are unable to effectively absorb water, and trees are no longer around to soak up or slow rains, which run over burn scars “like water off a parking lot,” Reuters reports.
Last year alone, 105 fires put 6 million acres — primarily in the American West — at risk of flooding impacts.
In Mora, New Mexico, more than two dozen floods have ravaged homes since the Hermit’s Peak/Calf Canyon blaze. More lives have been lost to water than fire. Meanwhile, mold after flooding has led to the abandonment or demolition of homes. Runoff of toxic heavy metals and other contaminants have left residents’ wells polluted and unusable.
In Context: As Flames Scorch Western Forests, Flagstaff Area Offers Roadmap for Post-Wildfire Flood Prevention
