Burn, Scar

Prescribed fire, the practice of setting small burns to clear ecosystem overgrowth, is a critical tool for climate resilience and forest health. In 2022, however, a U.S. Forest Service burn in the mountains of northern New Mexico escaped its firelines and became the largest wildfire in the state’s history. As local residents struggle to rebuild, the Forest Service works to resume stewardship of the land after its tragic misstep, amid questions of resilience, resistance, and the enduring ties between people and the land.