NEWS
Frijoles Fire expands to more than 4,000 acres in northern NM, leads to evacuations
Santa Fe schools allowing families to opt students out of outdoor activities due to health concerns
SANTA FE — Emergency officials ordered some residents of a northern New Mexico village to evacuate late Monday, as the Frijoles Fire expanded to more than 4,000 acres and cast a pall of wildfire smoke that blanketed much of the state’s north-central region.
With the fire growing, Santa Fe County Fire Department officials said that residents of Camino de Cañon, a street in Cundiyó, located east of Española, should “evacuate immediately.”
An emergency shelter will be established at the Pojoaque Valley Middle School gym, at 1797 State Road 502. The remainder of Cundiyó and the nearby village of Cerro Piñon have been moved to “Set” status, meaning residents in these areas should be prepared to evacuate if needed.
Earlier in the day, two state agencies issued a smoke advisory warning residents in northern New Mexico about the possible implications of worsening air quality.
In addition, Santa Fe Public Schools officials alerted parents they were monitoring the Frijoles Fire, which is burning in rough terrain in the Pecos Wilderness Area.
With a wildfire-generated haze covering much of the region, a district spokesman said some families had opted their children out of recess and other outdoor activities due to health concerns.
“We will continue to closely monitor air quality relative to the Frijoles Fire and make decisions regarding outdoor activities based on the current air quality index,” SFPS spokesman Joe Abeyta told the Journal.
More than 100 wilderness firefighters have been deployed to battle the Frijoles Fire, which was at 0% containment as of Monday afternoon, according to the U.S. Forest Service. Three helicopters and large air tankers have also been by dropping retardant and water from two nearby lakes — Nambé Lake and Santa Cruz Lake.
Before Monday’s evacuation order, Santa Fe County fire officials had placed Cundiyó and Cerro Piñon into “Ready” status on Saturday as erratic wind gusts and unseasonably dry August weather more than doubled the size of the wildfire four days after it was discovered. Ready status means residents in affected areas should prepare emergency supplies in case of an evacuation order.
As for the smoke alert, experts with the state Department of Health and the Department of Environment urged New Mexicans to limit their time outdoors if visibility worsens due to the wildfires.
While the smoke advisory does not impose any restrictions, it instructs local residents to stay inside if visibility drops to less than 1 mile. It also warned that elderly residents, pregnant women and individuals with certain health conditions should exercise caution.
“As smoke from any fire impacts the state, we encourage residents to stay informed and take steps to protect their health,” said Cindy Hollenberg, the Environment Department’s air quality bureau chief.
Several other wildfires have also been reported in recent days, as New Mexico and much of the western ϼ States deals with hot, dry weather.
Dan Boyd covers state government and politics for the Journal in Santa Fe. Follow him on X at @DanBoydNM or reach him via email at dboyd@abqjournal.com.
John Miller is the ϼ’s northern New Mexico correspondent. He can be reached at jmiller@abqjournal.com.