Current:Home > FinanceUS Forest Service sued over flooding deaths in the wake of New Mexico’s largest recorded wildfire-InfoLens
US Forest Service sued over flooding deaths in the wake of New Mexico’s largest recorded wildfire
View Date:2024-12-23 23:05:43
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — Relatives of three people who died last year in a flash flood stemming from the largest wildfire in New Mexico’s recorded history are suing the U.S. Forest Service.
The wrongful death lawsuit filed earlier this month alleges the Forest Service was negligent in the management of the prescribed burn and also failed to close roads and prevent access to areas at risk for flooding that followed the Hermit’s Peak/Calf Canyon Fire.
The three West Texas residents were staying at a family cabin in northern New Mexico in July 2022 when monsoon rains hit the burn scar near Tecolote Creek. That created a flash flood that swept the three victims to their deaths.
According to the Albuquerque Journal, the lawsuit also contends that the Forest Service failed to provide adequate warnings to the victims about the dangers caused by the wildfire and the dangers of potential flooding in the area.
Neither the Forest Service nor its parent agency, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, has formally responded to the lawsuit so far.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture didn’t provide a settlement offer or denial of claims initially filed in the case earlier this year, according to the lawsuit.
The blaze burned more than 533 square miles (1,380 square kilometers) in San Miguel, Mora and Taos counties. Authorities said an improperly extinguished pile burn operation rekindled and merged with another prescribed fire that went awry, destroying about 900 structures, including several hundred homes. No deaths were reported while the fire raged for months.
Congress set aside nearly $4 billion to compensate victims. FEMA has said its claims office has paid more than $101 million so far for losses, but many families have complained that the federal government is not acknowledging the extent of the damage or the emotional toll the fire has had on families whose ties to the land go back generations.
veryGood! (65)
Related
- Chrysler recalls over 200k Jeep, Dodge vehicles over antilock-brake system: See affected models
- Watch: Grounds crew helps Athletics fans get Oakland Coliseum souvenir
- How Messi's Inter Miami qualified for the 2025 Concacaf Champions Cup
- Menendez brothers' family slam 'grotesque' Netflix show 'Monsters' for 'outright falsehoods'
- Deommodore Lenoir contract details: 49ers ink DB to $92 million extension
- Do you have a pet plan ready for Hurricane Helene? Tips to keep your pet prepared
- Focus on the ‘Forgotten Greenhouse Gas’ Intensifies as All Eyes Are on the U.S. and China to Curb Pollution
- Harris heads to the US-Mexico border to face down criticism of her record
- Deion Sanders says he would prevent Shedeur Sanders from going to wrong team in NFL draft
- Empowering Investors: The Vision of Dream Builder Wealth Society
Ranking
- Jason Kelce collaborates with Stevie Nicks for Christmas duet: Hear the song
- Athletics fans prepare for final game at Oakland Coliseum: 'Everyone’s paying the price'
- Voting technology firm, conservative outlet reach settlement in 2020 election defamation case
- Google expert at antitrust trial says government underestimates competition for online ad dollars
- Early Week 11 fantasy football rankings: 30 risers and fallers
- California governor signs law increasing penalty for soliciting minors to a felony
- Madonna’s Stepmother Joan Ciccone Dead at 81 After Cancer Battle
- Fire marshal cancels hearing for ammonia plant amid overflowing crowd and surging public interest
Recommendation
-
Democrat George Whitesides wins election to US House, beating incumbent Mike Garcia
-
Lana Del Rey Marries Alligator Guide Jeremy Dufrene in Louisiana Swamp Wedding Ceremony
-
Halsey shares she was recently hospitalized for a seizure: 'Very scary'
-
The Best New Beauty Products September 2024: Game-Changing Hair Identifier Spray & $3 Items You Need Now
-
'Full House' star Dave Coulier diagnosed with stage 3 cancer
-
Tori Spelling’s Ex Dean McDermott Says She Was “Robbed” After DWTS Elimination
-
Travis Barker Shares One Regret About Raising Kids Landon and Alabama Barker With Shanna Moakler
-
Watch Prince Harry Lose His Cool While Visiting a Haunted House