Hermits Peak: One Year Later

US Sen. Ben Ray Luján discusses the work that still needs to be done in the aftermath of NM’s worst wildfire

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As heavy winds battered New Mexico earlier this week, it was hard to not remember a year ago this time when those heavy winds struck up dozens of fires across the state. Specifically, one year ago today at approximately 4:30 pm, the Las Dispensas prescribed fire on the Pecos/Las Vegas Ranger District of the Santa Fe National Forest was declared a wildfire. The prescribed fire treatment area had been intended as a larger project to protect the Gallinas Watershed, a primary water source for the City of Las Vegas. Instead, what became the Hermits Peak Fire merged with the nearby Calf Canyon Fire—which the US Forest Service later announced had been caused by a pile burn holdover from the previous January—to become the biggest fire in the state’s history.

When all was said and done, the Hermits Peak/Calf Canyon Fire was not contained until Aug. 21, by which point it had burned more than 340,000 acres and caused unfathomable damage to homes, wildlife, water systems and landscapes, and untold suffering to residents in Mora County and thereabouts, whose lives continue to be upended by the destruction.

US Sen. Ben Ray Luján, along with the rest of the delegation and Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham have been steady in demanding the federal government make financial amends for the damage caused by the prescribed burns. On Sept. 30, 2022, the Hermit’s Peak/Calf Canyon Fire Assistance Act was signed into law as part of the FY23 Continuing Resolution, providing $2.5 billion and establishing the Hermit’s Peak Claims Office within FEMA. The law also waives the cost share for state and local entities for all programs administered by FEMA and USDA. On Dec. 20, 2022, the state’s congressional delegation announced an additional $1.45 billion in the appropriations bill. A claims office opened in Mora on March 27, 2023, which Luján’s office says has 19 claims navigators, along with other staff. Deputy State Voluntary Agency Liaison and Co-Chair of the Mora/ San Miguel Long Term Recovery Group Jennifer Carbajal is the office’s deputy director; Paula Gutierrez (Santa Clara Pueblo) is the office’s advocate.

In a phone interview earlier this week, Luján spoke with SFR about the work that is yet to come. The interview has been edited for concision and clarity.

Heading into one year since the Hermits Peak Fire started with these heavy winds seems like it could be traumatic for a lot of people.

That’s always a concern when anyone is devastated with a traumatic event. We’re reminded, whether it’s the flooding or the winds that will kick up those memories, and they terrify us. I’m reminded through conversations with so many families in the area and I think it’s important to emphasize that these families still need help and support as well. I’m very proud we all worked together to have the [Hermits Peak Fire Assistance Act] signed into law, and now that FEMA is opening up offices, families have more tools to make claims…but we still have families that need help and support from all of us.

NBC recently ran a big feature about Mora County that described the fire as wiping out an entire way of life for its residents. Do you think that’s accurate?

We’re hurting in a dramatic way. There are families who have lived in generational homes whose homes have been lost. And so their way of life has absolutely been changed dramatically. I don’t want to say destroyed. And the reason that I don’t want to say destroyed is the resilience and the strength of these families who are rebuilding, whether it’s those that were raising animals who have already built some fences, or their barns while they’re still working on homes. Like many, I was very concerned and am still are concerned about the devastation around the acequias…which were filled with sediments. And we’re now approaching another thaw, so there will be more rain. And I’m frightened there will be more more flooding. I’m working with the New Mexico Acequia Association; and local leaders through the counties; and through FEMA and the United States Department of Agriculture to ensure that they will get cleaned up. As a matter of fact, the [state] Department of Transportation was innovative and is coming up with a program where they could do some cleaning. But it’s those efforts where challenges are identified and then innovative people come together to figure out how to address them that will begin to help more and more families.

But to the point of that story: Look, there were trees that were destroyed that I don’t know if we’ll ever see them grow back to that same level with climate change and things of that nature. But I would never count the people out from these communities. They’re they’re going to come together; they’re resilient and they’re strong. I would look at it through that lens as well.

The Hermits Peak/Calf Canyon wildfire heightened tension with federal agencies such as the US Forest Service, for its role in lighting the fires, and FEMA, for perceived lack of responsiveness. Do you see a path forward for improving those relationships?

With FEMA, first of all, I certainly appreciate that FEMA has opened up these offices and will continue to open up offices sooner than they normally would in areas of disaster. And one of the reasons for that is that opening of these offices sooner was required in the legislation and now in the law. Number two: It’s been clear to me that FEMA was not created for disasters like we’re seeing in the West now with fire and then flood after flood; year after year. So, there’s more awareness throughout the federal government—throughout FEMA, and throughout the legislative arm—that there needs to be a new chapter to FEMA. The third piece, coming directly out of what I experienced with families on the ground in Las Vegas as an example, is FEMA now understands and is open to more of the cultural and traditional practices of caring for people: food preparation—warm food versus cold food—things of that nature. And they talk about this in all of these hearings. So that was a lesson that came directly from the people on the ground.

With [the United States Department of Agriculture] and the Forest Service, I certainly appreciate what we’re seeing with the response from [USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack] and the kinds of programs that are coming in. EQIP [Environmental Quality Incentives Program] is a program that is used by irrigation users to make improvements on their lands. We’re seeing innovative ways to make sure that more help is coming; And the secretary has acknowledged the importance of working with local communities as well, with competitive contracting for thinning, for biomass collection, for example, which could lead to fuels and incredible opportunities for industries to be created in our backyards. So there must always be improvements. People always need to do better. But in the end, the power of treating people with respect and dignity goes a long way.