Large fire at Bernalillo County recycling yard sends smoke over Albuquerque
Smoke from a South Valley recycling yard fire forced Broadway closures and triggered an air-quality alert across Albuquerque and Bernalillo County.
Flames at a recycling yard off Broadway Boulevard SE sent a column of smoke over Albuquerque on Saturday evening, forcing road closures near Rio Bravo Boulevard SE and prompting a county air-quality alert for people downwind in the South Valley and beyond.
Bernalillo County Fire & Rescue Public Information Officer William Harris said the fire started around 6:30 p.m. in the paper section of the plant, then spread into aluminum and other recycled materials. Bernalillo County Fire & Rescue and Albuquerque Fire Rescue sent 19 units to the scene, and more than 50 firefighters worked to contain it. By about 9 p.m., crews had completely surrounded the fire, which had burned roughly 2 acres.
Broadway Boulevard SE was closed in both directions near Prosperity Avenue SE and Rio Bravo Boulevard SE while firefighters worked the blaze. The Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office also assisted at the scene, as crews kept traffic away from the recycling yard and worked to prevent the fire from spreading farther through the South Valley industrial area.
The Albuquerque-Bernalillo County Air Quality Program issued a health alert at 9:35 p.m. because of the smoke. The alert covered the City of Albuquerque and Bernalillo County and was set to remain in effect until 9 a.m. Sunday. Officials told people with respiratory conditions to limit outdoor activity and advised nearby residents to turn off evaporative coolers, a warning that reflected how quickly smoke from an industrial fire can move into neighborhoods far from the flames.
No injuries were reported. The cause of the fire remained under investigation as crews continued to monitor the site and the surrounding air, with officials saying the fire was surrounded and not expected to spread farther. For residents watching the plume drift across the valley, the immediate concerns were the smoke in the air, the disruption along Broadway, and whether the facility’s safety history will show any warning signs once investigators finish their work.
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