Los Alamos Fire crews aid Española Riverside Fire as evacuations lift

Los Alamos fire crews were pulled into Española’s Riverside Fire Friday evening as the wind-driven blaze raced through the Rio Grande bosque near the Santa Claran Hotel Casino, forcing evacuations and choking access along Riverside Drive.

By Saturday morning, the fire had been estimated at about 100 acres. Later reports cut that figure to 44 acres as crews got a better handle on the burn, and by Saturday evening evacuation orders had been lifted and the fire was about 40% contained. Officials said the fire burned about four structures, including a mobile home, an RV or trailer, and two sheds, while no fatalities had been reported at that time.

Española Fire Chief John Wickersham said the fire was driven by wind and fed by dry conditions, a combination that can turn a river corridor into a fast-moving threat in minutes. The evacuation area stretched from the Santa Claran Casino through the Fairview Bridge, with limited access on Riverside Drive from the casino to La Joya Street. The mayor of Española said the fire was extremely close to the Santa Claran Hotel Casino and other businesses and structures, underscoring how quickly the incident threatened homes and commercial property.

Multiple agencies joined the response, including the Santa Fe City Fire Department, Santa Fe County Fire Department, Farmington Fire Department, New Mexico State Forestry, the Bureau of Indian Affairs, Rio Arriba County Fire Department, Santa Clara Fire Department and the Española Fire Department. That regional callout is part of the same mutual-aid system that can send Los Alamos crews out of county when a nearby community is in trouble.

Los Alamos County describes its fire department as one of the largest career fire departments in New Mexico, with 150 personnel operating from five stations. The department’s mission goes far beyond structure fires, covering fire suppression, emergency medical services, technical rescue, hazardous materials mitigation, aviation rescue, fire prevention, fire investigation, code enforcement, public education and domestic preparedness planning and response. LAFD says every firefighter carries EMS certification, and its all-hazards fleet includes structural suppression and wildland-urban interface apparatus, ambulances, rescues, hazmat response, crash-fire-rescue equipment and a mobile command center.

The county’s wildfire planning has also been tightening at home. Los Alamos County’s community wildfire protection plan was first approved in 2009, updated in 2016 and again in 2022. In March, LAFD and the county Office of Emergency Management launched a Ready, Set, Go! preparedness campaign and urged residents to stay in the Ready stage, with free home assessments available.

As shelters opened, evacuees were directed to the La Mesilla/San Pedro Community Center at 30 CR 8 in Española, and Española Humane said crates were packed and vans were ready in case animals had to be moved. The fire’s rapid shift from a 100-acre estimate to 44 acres, and then to partial containment with evacuations lifted, showed how quickly a bosque fire can change the risk map for the whole region.