The U.S. Forest Service is responding to criticism over how it’s handling the Laguna Fire in northern New Mexico.
Congresswoman Teresa Leger Fernández issued a press release earlier this week claiming that the agency has lost the trust of local communities.
But Forest Service officials said in a statement emailed to KSFR yesterday that they followed established safety procedures.
Spokesperson Claudia Brookshire with the Forest Service says the fire began naturally—sparked by lightning—and decisions were made based on risk, weather, drought, and firefighter safety.
She wrote that the Forest Service used a tool called a "firing operation"—lighting controlled burns by hand or air—to reduce dry vegetation and steer the fire in safer directions.
That technique, she wrote, is used even in full suppression efforts, with the goal of protecting water systems and reducing the chance of flooding after the fire.
But about two weeks in, conditions changed quickly at the Laguna fire, which is about 4 miles northeast of Guyeena.
On July 10, the fire was largely under control.
But the next day, embers jumped the line and sparked a new fire near Laguna Peak.
Later that afternoon, a powerful thunderstorm brought strong winds.
The fire grew by about 3,000 acres in just hours.
Firefighters were on the scene, but couldn’t safely attack the flames.
The Forest Service then shifted to a full suppression strategy and brought in a more advanced management team.
Some ranchers say they were caught off guard—and lost cattle in the fire.
Leger Fernandez had questioned the thoroughness of the Forest Service’s communications with ranchers.
But Brookshire wrote that the agency had been in regular contact with permit holders, including phone calls, public meetings, and printed updates posted in local gathering places.
She said the Forest Service also worked to help ranchers relocate cattle after the lightning strike that started the fire.
Brookshire stressed that staffing was never an issue, and the fire was fully resourced from the beginning.
As of last night the Laguna fire had spread to near 17,200 acres and was at 57 percent contained.
