Source:
United States House of Representatives
– Congresswoman
Teresa Leger Fernández
(D-NM)
Yesterday, Congresswoman
Teresa Leger Fernández
, sent a letter to
U.S. Forest Service
Chief
Randy Moore
urging him to honor his commitment to use infrared drones for all prescribed burns in New Mexico. Rep.
Leger Fernández
previously secured a commitment from
Chief Moore
to use infrared drones during prescribed fires after a holdover pile burn unknowingly smoldered for months and helped start the Hermit’s Peak/Calf
Canyon Fire
. Infrared drones allow the
Forest Service
to safely and effectively monitor prescribed fires and verify that the fire is completely out.
“The Forest Service has an obligation to rebuild the trust of New Mexican communities devastated by the agency’s past negligence,” said Rep.
Leger Fernández
.“We cannot have another prescribed fire escape or another pile burn lay dormant for months. I appreciate the use of handheld infrared technology at prescribed burns. However, the handheld technology is insufficient. Firefighters and USFS personnel can use drones to access places that are difficult or impossible to reach on foot. New Mexicans deserve to feel safe in their homes knowing that the
Forest Service
will use every available technology to make sure the fire is out.”
Background
During a
House Natural Resources Committee
hearing in April of this year, Congresswoman
Leger Fernandez
securedthe
U.S. Forest Service
Chief Moore’s commitment to use infrared drones on all prescribed burns. However,
Forest Service
staff recently walked back that commitment and stated at a public meeting that they do not have enough drones to use at every fire.
Two
Forest Service
prescribed burns started the 2022 Hermit’s
Peak/Calf Canyon
wildfire that destroyed 341,471 acres – the largest wildfire in
New Mexico
history. One of the burns was a
Forest Service
holdover pile burn that unknowingly smoldered for months. Simultaneously, the Cerro Pelado fire burned 45,605 acres. It wasn’t until this summer that the
Forest Service
admitted the Cerro Pelado fire was also caused by a dormant pile burn. The
Forest Service
did not use infrared drone technology to monitor either pile burn before they escaped. In the Forest Service’s own review of prescribed burn management after the Hermit’s
Peak/Calf Canyon
fire, the
Forest Service
found that “tools such as drones and infrared devices are not fully used in monitoring and patrolling prescribed fires.” The report continues, “Both infrared devices and drones could be used to improve situational awareness and support strategic tactical decisions.”
After the Hermit’s
Peak/Calf Canyon
wildfire started, Congresswoman demanded the
Forest Service
pause all prescribed burns – which they did. She also secured an independent Government Accountability Act (GAO) investigation into the Forest Service’s prescribed burn methods. During the April hearing,
Chief Moore
also committed to work with the Congresswoman and the GAO to implement its recommendations to improve prescribed burn management. In September of 2022, the Congresswoman passed the Hermit’s Peak/Calf Canyon Fire Assistance Act to secure
$3.95 billion
in compensation for victims of the fire. She has continued to push the
Federal Emergency Management Agency
to more quickly compensate New Mexicans.
The full text of the letter is available here and below:
Dear Chief Moore:
As you know, the
United States Forest Service
(
Forest Service
) has planned multiple prescribed burns in
New Mexico
over the coming weeks. I am concerned that the
Forest Service
might not use infrared drones during its upcoming prescribed burns in my district. New Mexicans rightfully distrust the
Forest Service
after three escaped prescribed burns in 2022 resulted in the destruction of 387,340 acres and hundreds of homes and the upheaval of tens of thousands of lives. I urge the
Forest Service
to immediately commit to use infrared drones for all future prescribed burns in
New Mexico
.
In a hearing before the
House Natural Resources Committee
on
April 26, 2023
, you committed to me to use infrared drones at every prescribed burn the
Forest Service
conducts in
New Mexico
. However, at a recent public meeting on
October 13, 2023
Forest Service
staff informed my constituents that the
Forest Service
does not have enough infrared drones to use at every prescribed burn in
New Mexico
.
It would be absolutely unacceptable for the
Forest Service
to fail to use these drones in
New Mexico
. That would undermine the credibility of the
Forest Service
. You have an obligation to rebuild the trust of New Mexican communities devastated by your agency’s past negligence. We cannot have another prescribed fire escape or another pile burn lay dormant for months. I appreciate the use of handheld infrared technology at prescribed burns. However, the handheld technology is insufficient. Firefighters and USFS personnel can use drones to access places that are difficult or impossible to reach on foot. New Mexicans deserve to feel safe in their homes knowing that the
Forest Service
will use every available technology to make sure the fire is out.
I request that you answer the following questions regarding
Forest Service
use of infrared drones.
- Will you commit to use infrared drones at every prescribed burn in New
Mexico
from now on?
- Have infrared drones been used at every prescribed burn in
New Mexico
since the Hermit’s Peak/Calf
Canyon Fire
?
- How many infrared drones does the
Forest Service
currently have?
- How many infrared drones does the
Forest Service
need to ensure there is a drone at every prescribed burn and wildfire?
- How much additional funding does the
Forest Service
require to make sure it has a sufficient number of infrared drones as well as adequately trained personnel to operate them?
Sincerely,
Teresa Leger Fernández
Member of
Congress
MIL OSI USA News
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