New Mexico wildfire scar burn has forest officials worried

SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — As more than 3,000 firefighters in northern New Mexico continued to battle the nation’s largest active wildfire Sunday, federal forest officials are worried about future flash floods, landslides and destructive ash from the burn scar. The 7-week-old fire, the largest in New Mexico history, remained 50% contained after charring 492 square miles (1,274 square kilometers) in rugged terrain east of Santa Fe. Firefighting costs already surpass $132 million, climbing by $5 million a day, according to authorities. New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham already has asked President Joe Biden to direct the Federal Emergency Management Administration to pay for all costs related to a broad range of recovery efforts.