Fire's Toxic Legacy: Wells Contaminated Post-Blaze

In Mora County, New Mexico, residents Darleen and Johnathan Ortiz face a grave new challenge following the 2022 Hermits Peak-Calf Canyon Fire. Their private well, once a reliable source, now shows dangerous levels of heavy metals like arsenic and aluminum, suspected to stem from fire suppressants used during the blaze. This discovery adds a significant burden to their recovery efforts, which already included restoring their acequia system damaged by post-fire debris flows.

Approximately 72 private wells in the burn scar area have recently tested positive for similar contaminants. Geologist Kate Zeigler identified these hazardous levels, prompting concern across the community. While county officials state public wells remain uncontaminated, U.S. Rep. Teresa Leger Fernández is convening meetings to address testing and remediation costs, pushing for solutions and urging FEMA to cover damages related to this new contamination.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has stated it will consider claims for contamination damages but requires claimants to prove "injuries and causation." This leaves many, like the Ortizes, uncertain about their future and the extent of the contamination's spread, highlighting the ongoing struggle for recovery and recognition of harm caused by the devastating wildfire and its aftermath.