Intentional fires in Rio Rancho bosque area prompts closures

May 20—There were no plans to close the bosque in Albuquerque despite several fires that affected the wooded area along the Rio Grande in Rio Rancho over the weekend, Albuquerque Fire Rescue spokesman Jason Fejer said in an email Monday.

The fires appeared to have been started by a person, though investigators aren't yet calling it an arson, Rio Rancho Fire Chief James DeFillippo said during a Monday afternoon press conference.

DeFillippo said he was concerned about Monday's red flag fire warning, which was issued due to conditions being dry and windy. "With the amount of fire that was in the bosque and the fire that was in the undergrowth of the trees, we were worried about smoldering and the potential for spread," he said.

The weather is expected to remain dry through the week with temps in the low to mid-80s and humidity less than 10%, National Weather Service of Albuquerque meteorologist Todd Shoemake told the Journal.

In past years, the bosque in Albuquerque has been closed due to fire danger. In 2021, firefighters extinguished at least five fires along the Rio Grande in Albuquerque and Los Lunas.

Bosque restrictions are not unprecedented during extreme fire danger. In the summer of 2011, the city of Albuquerque completely closed the bosque to the public.

According to a Rio Rancho Observer report, Rio Rancho Fire Rescue said in a news release that the department got a call at about 6:30 p.m. Sunday regarding the fires in the Bosque Open Space near the River's Edge II development.

"When our crews arrived on scene, they did notice that the bosque was on fire and there was a total of five separate fires that were burning simultaneously," Rio Rancho Fire Chief James DeFillippo said during the Monday afternoon press conference covered by the Observer. "Over the course of about eight acres of the bosque, our crews were able to initiate initial attack with the help of multiple agencies that came out to assist our fire rescue."

DeFillippo said only about two acres burned. No one was injured and no structures were damaged.

He said he was concerned about the red flag warning that has been issued for the metro area until 8 p.m. Monday as temps were in the mid-80s with wind gusts of up to 35 mph and humidity levels below 10%.

"This is not really a great recipe for ongoing fires," Shoemake said. "It's usually pretty conducive to spreading things a little bit."

DeFillippo said there were more than 50 firefighters on scene Monday, adding that the bosque will be patrolled by Rio Rancho Fire Rescue for the next couple of days. Rio Rancho and area first responders are continuing to look into the fires that were set in the bosque area after 7 p.m. Sunday evening, resulting in police closing bosque entrances until further notice.

"We hope to get the bosque opened back up to the public by the weekend," DeFillippo said.

While the metro area is worried about the bosque, it is not the only part of the state dealing with fiery conditions.

A red flag warning was issued for Las Cruces until 9 p.m. Monday. To the east, Carlsbad and Hobbs were dealing with triple-digit temperatures and wind gusts of about 20-30 mph, according to the National Weather Service.

Earlier on Monday, the city of Albuquerque was under a smoke alert until 10 a.m.

"Smoke impacts weren't as bad as expected, and the smoke that reached Albuquerque has cleared out," city environmental health spokeswoman Maia Rodriguez said in an email.

Shoemake said people still should avoid outdoor burning, avoid anything that will produce a spark or flame outdoors and be on high caution.

"Any fires that do develop have the potential to develop rapidly and quickly get out of hand," he said.

As part of May's Wildfire Awareness Month, New Mexico Department of Health spokesman David Barre issued a press release with some tips on what to do in case of smoke.

They include:

Using the 5-3-1 Visibility Tool, which helps people "estimate" air quality based on how far they can see outside during a wildfire.Watching for air quality reports and health warnings.Staying indoors and closing windows and doors.Not using a swamp cooler on smoky days, as the coolers bring the air inside.Reaching out to those that may be impacted to ensure their safety.

Barre added a few suggestions for people to protect their homes in case of a fire:

Stack firewood away from the homeClean gutters, rake leaves and remove dead limbs from around the home.If there is a wildfire threat, use a garden hose to wet the roof and shrubs around the house.

Michaela Helean of the Rio Rancho Observer contributed to this report.