FBI Investigating New Mexico Wildfires, Offers Reward

Facts

• The FBI has offered a $10K reward to those who can provide information leading to the arrests and convictions of individuals responsible for starting recent wildfires in New Mexico.¹
• Authorities are looking to identify the cause of the South Fork and the Salt fires, which both began on June 17. The agency believes the blazes may have been human-caused.²
• The fires have killed two people, destroyed over 1.4K structures including homes, and forced thousands to evacuate. The fires have burned 26 square miles (67 sq km) and 12 square miles (31 sq km)respectively. Full containment of the blazes is not expected until mid-July.³
• The wildfires, made worse by dry and windy conditions, have affected infrastructure and caused extensive damage in the region. President Biden approved a disaster declaration for areas of Southern New Mexico on Thursday, providing federal funds and resources for recovery efforts.⁴
• Evacuations and road closures remain in effect in the region, though some residents were allowed to return on Monday. As many as 29 people remain unaccounted for and the search and rescue team may have identified additional fatalities, though more investigation needs to occur before they are confirmed.⁵
• The state has also dealt with flash flooding recently, with the National Weather Service saying on Saturday that the risk of flash flooding would continue over the next several days. Areas downstream from wildfire burn scars are particularly susceptible.⁶

Sources: ¹USA Today, ²The Hill, ³Voice of America, ⁴Associated Press (a), ⁵Associated Press (b) and ⁶CBS.

Narratives

• Narrative A, as provided by ABC News. This disastrous wildfire that killed two people and caused significant property damage, was likely caused by a human. The person or persons responsible for this tragedy should be found and held accountable for the destruction they caused. Hopefully, this reward will incentivize anyone with information to come forward.
• Narrative B, as provided by Guardian. New Mexico has been experiencing a particularly dry and windy last few months, and it's not impossible that this tragic disaster was caused naturally. New Mexico has been pummeled by an onslaught of weather stress lately ranging from severe drought to tropical storms to flash floods and golfball-sized hail.

Predictions