Fire damages UNM facilities

The largest wildfire in New Mexico history continues to burn, forcing evacuations and destroying homes and property, including a UNM facility.

A UNM anthropology facility near Cochiti Lake was damaged when the Las Conchas fire burned around the perimeter of Dixon’s Apple Orchard on June 26. The facility sustained severe damages, UNM Physical Plant Director Mary Vosevich said. She also said the cost of the damage is not yet known, but fall classes held at the facility wouldn’t be cancelled.

“Two other buildings suffered very minor damage and another had damage that we will assess soon,” she said.

The Las Conchas fire started June 26 near Los Alamos and forced the town’s 12,000 residents to evacuate. The fire became the highest-priority fire in the nation as fears rose about risk to the nuclear material stored at Los Alamos National Labs.

Los Alamos Fire Chief Doug Tucker said with the exception of a spot fire that was quickly extinguished, there has been no damage to the labs. The fire has burned nearly 105,000 acres as of this week and is New Mexico’s largest recorded wildfire. New Mexico Gov. Susana Martinez said the cost of fighting the blaze totals $2.8 million and is expected to rise, but she noted that the Las Conchas fire is not the only fire threatening the state.

“While many people are focused on the Las Conchas fire right now, it is important to remember that we also have several other active fires that are forcing evacuations,” she said. “We remain engaged and active on every fire to ensure that lives and property are protected across the state.”

The Little Lewis fire near Cloudcroft forced the evacuations of communities in the Sacramento Mountains this week. Another wildfire, the Donaldson Complex fire near Ruidoso, has burned 90,000 acres and was caused by lightning.

UNM emergency responders have been deployed to help in the firefighting effort. The University Emergency Medical Services traveled to Los Alamos shortly after the Las Conchas fire started, and the doctors will rotate in 12-hour shifts helping those fighting the fire.

Public areas such as the Bosque, Albuquerque Open Space areas and Cibola National Forest were closed last week to guard against fire danger. Trespassers in the Bosque could face up to a $500 fine and 90 days in jail.

Bernalillo County Fire Marshal Chris Gober said that areas like the Bosque, the Far Northeast Heights and the East Mountains are high priorities for the department, where the slightest spark could spell disaster.

“This year, we’re extremely dry,” Gober said. “We haven’t been this dry in perhaps several decades. We’ve been lucky so far.

There have been several fires throughout the month, but all of them have been small.”