NEWS
Santa Fe Fire Department responds to structure fire at shuttered St. Catherine's Indian School
Suspect taken into custody as firefighters battled blaze into Thursday evening near National Cemetery
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Smoke and flames poured from the shuttered St. Catherine鈥檚 Indian School near Santa Fe National Cemetery on Thursday afternoon, drawing a full response from the city鈥檚 fire department.
鈥淭he building鈥檚 on fire, and it鈥檚 spreading in the building, for sure,鈥� said Peter Olson, communications director for the city of Santa Fe.
The fire was reported about 3:45 p.m., prompting a 鈥渇ull callout鈥� from the fire department.
Twenty-seven firefighters, five fire engines, multiple ambulances and additional support vehicles were on scene as of about 6 p.m. The Santa Fe County Fire Department also responded.
Firefighters could be seen directing water at the blaze from multiple angles, pumping approximately 2,800 gallons per minute to suppress flames that leapt skyward, according to an update from the city.
鈥淲e鈥檙e doing an attack scheme called 鈥榮urround and drown,鈥� which means surrounding the fire and making sure it doesn鈥檛 spread,鈥� Olson said.
Personnel from Santa Fe Public Utilities Department were also on hand to help ensure adequate water pressure. The city asked residents to 鈥渓imit water use鈥� as crews continued to battle the fire.
The defunct school is on Rio Grande Avenue, near Griffin Street, across from a large residential area on the edge of downtown.
Nervous neighbors gathered to watch firefighters respond to the blaze, with some saying they planned to pack up their belongings in case of an evacuation order.
鈥淚 looked out my window and said, 鈥極h my God,鈥欌�� one resident told the Journal.
The former Indian boarding school, also known as St. Catherine鈥檚 Indian School for Boys, consists of 19 buildings on the city鈥檚 northwest side, adjacent to Rosario Chapel and Cemetery, according to the Historic Santa Fe Foundation. The campus has been closed since 1998 and is now owned by the city of Santa Fe.
Democratic gubernatorial nominee Deb Haaland has said her maternal grandparents were , and has talked openly about the generational trauma of the boarding school policies.
A suspect was taken into custody in connection with the fire, according to the city, but no further details had been released Thursday evening regarding any criminal charges or the exact cause of the blaze.
