A big fire with low fire severity: Lessons from the Black Fire

Sylvia Kantor; Gavin M. Jones

Treesearch

A big fire with low fire severity: Lessons from the Black Fire

Informally Refereed

Authors:

Sylvia Kantor, Gavin M. Jones

Year:

2025

Type:

Science Bulletins and Newsletters

Station:

Rocky Mountain Research Station

Source:

Science You Can Use (in 5 Minutes), November 2025. Fort Collins, CO: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station. 2 p

Download (PDF 2.18 MB)

Download (PDF 2.18 MB): https://research.fs.usda.gov/download/treesearch/69631.pdf

Abstract

When the Black Fire ignited in southwestern New Mexico in 2022, it had all the ingredients for disaster: record-high winds, extremely low humidity, and over 131,000 hectares (323,708 acres) of forest fuels to feed on. But something unexpected happened. Instead of becoming another catastrophic megafire, it burned mostly at low to moderate severity. The secret? The landscape had already experienced dozens of previous fires, both planned and natural, that helped tame the beast.

Keywords

wildfire, lower burn severity, fuels reduction

Citation

Kantor, Sylvia; Jones, Gavin. 2025. A big fire with low fire severity: Lessons from the Black Fire. Science You Can Use (in 5 Minutes), November 2025. Fort Collins, CO: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station. 2 p.