Frijoles Fire’s Hidden Water Threat | Santa Fe News

The Frijoles fire in New Mexico, which scorched 15,000+ acres since August 4th, is now mostly out—but experts are sounding the alarm about what’s next: burned soil could drastically alter water flow, risking mudslides and floods downstream. A Burned Area Emergency Response assessment is underway to gauge soil damage, as intense fires can turn porous earth into a runoff hazard. While early data suggests the burn wasn’t uniformly severe and no immediate flood threat exists, residents near or downstream are urged to monitor weather, especially with heavy rain. A detailed soil burn severity map will be released tomorr...