By Jennifer Garcia
jgarcia@riograndesun.com
Managing Editor

Fire personnel were still mopping up hot spots Monday after a brush fire broke out Friday night on North Riverside Drive, forcing evacuations from West Pueblo Drive to the Santa Claran Hotel Casino and resulted in 44 acres being burnt.

Española Fire Chief John Wickersham said firefighters initially estimated the fire had consumed about 100 acres because they were unable to get a drone up to survey the area.

“When we did boots on the ground and walked the perimeter, the estimate was reduced to 44 acres,” he said.

Two sheds, an RV and a single-wide trailer that was being used for storage were lost in the blaze, but Wickersham said no homes were lost, there were no fatalities and no one was injured. There was a home next door to the single-wide trailer that was in danger, but fire crews were able to save it.

Española Fire Marshal Pablo Montoya said the fire began in a field on Santa Clara property, in the center of the marshland about a quarter mile away from the casino, adjacent and near West Pueblo Drive. Though no one was hurt, Montoya said the fire came as close as 5 or 10 feet to some homes.

Response time to the fire was quick — about four or five minutes from the time the fire was dispatched to the fire department, to the time firefighters arrived on scene. Area agencies, including Santa Fe County, Santa Fe city, Santa Clara Fire Department, Rio Arriba County Fire Department, Los Alamos Fire Department and the Bureau of Indian Affairs Wildland Fire all pitched in to help, Wickersham said. There were firefighters from Farmington who were in training and they also joined the effort. About 150-200 people were on scene Friday night. That number was reduced to about 100 on Saturday and 30 on Sunday. By Monday, about 20 fire personnel remained to do mop up efforts. By Monday around noon, the fire was 60% contained and Wickersham hoped that by the end of the day, it would be pretty close to being put completely out.

Wickersham said because of Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham’s executive order that sent National Guardsmen to Española, they, along with the Española Police Department and the Rio Arriba County Sheriff’s Office, were able to close the road to stop people from getting too close to the fire, as crews battled it.

The community also came together with donations over the weekend, with Walmart supplying cases of water, churches opening their doors to those who were displaced because of the evacuations and Subway, La Cocina and Domino’s all donating food.

Evacuation centers were open at the San Pedro Community Center and Carlos Vigil Middle School Friday night, but were shuttered by Saturday, as the evacuation order was lifted. Wickersham wasn’t sure how many people utilized the centers.

The fire remains under investigation and a cause has been determined, however, Montoya said they are trying to “button up” how, exactly it started.

“We’re comfortable saying it’s not the homeless,” Wickersham said. “We’re ruling out anything else.”

A press release from the Bureau of Indian Affairs — Northern Pueblos Agency sent out on Monday said fire traffic will remain heavy near the fire area as equipment and vehicles enter and exit the area.

“Firefighter and public safety are always the number one priority,” it said. “We ask that the public use caution when driving near the fire.”