Two years after the U.S. Forest Service initiated a prescribed fire that led to the largest wildfire in New Mexico's history, independent investigators have identified gaps that need to be addressed for the agency to effectively use prescribed fire as a risk reduction tool in the face of climate change.
The Government Accountability Office conducted an investigation at the request of a U.S. Representative following the devastating Hermit's Peak-Calf Canyon Fire in 2022. The report highlighted 43 prescribed fire escapes between 2012 and 2021 out of 50,000 projects, spanning across national forests in multiple states.
