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City officials are asking residents to help prevent fires in the Bosque after a string of suspected arsons triggered expanded patrols, new surveillance tools and a crackdown ahead of the Fourth of July.
At a press conference at Tingley Beach, Mayor Tim Keller said multiple fires over the past week were human-caused, including one tied to a suspect who may face arson charges. Albuquerque Fire Rescue, along with police and parks officials, said crews are on high alert and ramping up patrols in open space areas.
“We are seeing a troubling sequence of human-caused fires in the Bosque,” Keller said. “It’s extremely flammable, and these are things that can be very difficult to control for us if they get out of hand. That’s why we try and control them right away — and why we try and prevent them.”
With dry conditions and the Fourth of July coming up, officials say wildfire risk is high, especially from illegal fireworks and open flames.
The city is taking a multi-agency, layered approach to prevention, including increased patrols on the ground and in the air, a new heat and smoke sensor pilot program, and calls for the public to report suspicious activity in the Bosque, one of Albuquerque’s most treasured and vulnerable places.
Recent incidents & arson investigation
Between June 17 and 22, four brush fires broke out within Albuquerque city limits, with additional major fires reported in Valencia County.
AFR Chief Emily Jaramillo thanked the many agencies and crews who’ve helped respond to the surge of fires in the Bosque over the past week.
“These are not short incidents,” she said. “[The crews] have to be on these scenes for a long time, and they worked really hard to get them out quickly.”
The first two fires ignited June 17 and 18 on opposite sides of the Montaño Bridge. Crews responded to two more June 19 — one near Coors and Central early that morning and another near Tingley Beach that afternoon.
Albuquerque Fire Rescue also assisted Bernalillo County Fire with a South Valley fire June 20 and another fire near Alameda the next morning. Later that day, AFR sent a Type 3 engine to help fight the Cotton Fire in Los Lunas. On June 22, crews responded to the nearby Cotton Two Fire, now part of the Desert Willow Complex under state forestry management.
AFR’s wildland task force responded quickly to each fire. Jaramillo credited the city’s investment in new apparatus — like the Type 3 engine, designed for wildland and structure protection — for helping contain the flames before they spread.
“AFR is ready to handle whatever is going on in this city while we’re helping our neighbors,” she said.
Jaramillo said multiple ignition points suggest the fires were likely caused by humans, not natural events like lightning. She said the department is working closely with APD to investigate and ensure there’s enough evidence before linking the fires to any individuals.
“As of right now, we have our investigators cooperating,” she said.
Lt. Chris Schroeder, head of APD’s Open Space Division, gave an update on the arrest of Sean Ryan Taylor in connection with a fire near Alameda and the river. He said a grand jury will meet Friday to decide whether to issue an indictment for arson.
Schroeder said APD has a backpack from the suspect at its crime lab and is awaiting a judge’s approval to execute a search warrant to find more evidence.
Addressing questions about whether Taylor is responsible for other fires, Schroeder said there’s currently no evidence linking him to those.
He added that further interviews with Taylor will only happen if the suspect agrees to speak with police and his legal counsel. Taylor is in preventive detention to reduce the risk of more fires until the grand jury meets Friday, Schroeder said.
“Arson targeting our Bosque and open spaces is a direct attack on our community,” said APD Chief Harold Medina. “Our officers are fully committed to bringing perpetrators to justice.
Fire prevention and patrols
According to the city website, Stage II fire restrictions are now in effect across all Open Space areas within Albuquerque’s city limits, including the Bosque, West Mesa grasslands and the Sandia Foothills.
Jaramillo said AFR worked closely with other departments in the area, including APD, Bernalillo County Fire, Rio Rancho Fire and Rescue, Corrales Fire and Open Space.
Because AFR’s airboat was in the shop, APD brought theirs to help transport firefighters. Even Parks and Recreation staff pitched in, and zoo employees were trained to protect animal enclosures with hoses during the Tingley fire.
“This is an approach from multiple departments,” Jaramillo said. “It’s not something that we can do alone.”
She said AFR moved to level two patrols earlier than usual this year, deploying three overlapping units to monitor high-risk areas, especially along the east side of the river between Central and Montaño. Level one patrols began May 17, but level two was activated last week due to the fires.
Jaramillo said the fire department added two Type 3 engines to its fleet, calling them “great for structural protection — whether it’s a structure fire, a Bosque fire, a flood rescue or a medical emergency.”
Schroeder said the Bosque remains a high-priority area for APD patrols, especially during fire season. He encouraged the public to enjoy the open space and help keep watch for suspicious activity.
“We have a lot of eyes, but we can always use more,” he said. “Please come out, enjoy the open space, especially the Bosque, and that will, in turn, help us keep a better watch of everything that’s going on.”
He said if people see smoke or fire, call 911. For anything else, call 311 or 242-COPS to get emergency crews there.
Schroeder also reminded residents about what’s prohibited in the Bosque. Violations are citable and regularly enforced by Open Space officers.
“There is zero camping allowed,” he said. “It has been our experience, and mine specifically, that a lot of other malicious activity ends up following some of the camping that occurs here in the Bosque.”
The Stage II fire restrictions ban the following:
- Any kind of fire, open flame, campfire, or stove fire
- Firearms
- Smoking
- Fireworks or any other pyrotechnic devices
- Barbecue grills
- Driving off designated roads, except in developed parking areas or at trailheads
- Operating chainsaws or spark-emitting equipment
- Using internal or external combustion engines
- Welding or using torches with open flames
- Camping or overnight stays
“There are so many low-level, dry fuels out here. One ember from a cigarette can start a fire,” Schroeder said.
He said APD has stepped up patrols with extra officers covering mornings and evenings. The department is also using drones and helicopters to monitor the area and check for camps or hot spots.
“In just two hours yesterday, we spotted 16 possible camps,” Schroeder said. “Some may be abandoned, but our officers are checking each one.”
He added that officers are talking to individuals in these camps to gather information that may be linked to recent fires.
Schroeder said APD, AFR, Bernalillo County Fire and the Sheriff’s Office are coordinating to boost coverage — possibly even 24/7 — depending on staffing. “That’s our goal,” he said.
Albuquerque Parks and Recreation Director Dave Simon said the quick, coordinated response to the recent fires shows how years of investment in training and equipment are paying off.
When the four fires broke out in rapid succession, AFR and APD worked together to contain and put them out fast. “The combined efforts between AFR and APD have been exemplary,” Simon said.
Fireworks
Jaramillo also warned residents about illegal fireworks.
“All fireworks sold at tents in Albuquerque are inspected and permitted,” she said. “But fireworks of any kind are banned in the Bosque and open spaces.”
The city bans both aerial fireworks and ground devices that make noise. Jaramillo urged people to report illegal fireworks or any suspicious activity in open space areas.
“We can’t control what people buy elsewhere,” she said, “but we can respond when they use them here. Report what you see so we can take action.”
What’s at stake
Simon said fires in the Bosque are especially dangerous because the area isn’t built to withstand them.
“A tremendous amount is at stake here in the Bosque fires,” he said. “In contrast to other ecosystems that we cherish and use in New Mexico, the Bosque is not a fire-adapted ecosystem; it did not develop with fire, and it does not benefit from fire. Like other types of ecosystems in New Mexico, such as higher mountain pine-dominated forests.”
He said even the act of fighting fires in the Bosque can cause further damage, which is why prevention is critical. One key tool: fuel reduction projects that thin dry vegetation before fires start.
A major fuel-reduction and restoration effort near Tingley Beach about two years ago helped limit the spread of one of last week’s fires. That fire started just outside the treated area, along a section of river where crews weren’t allowed to thin vegetation.
“If it had jumped into the restored area, AFR would have had a much easier time,” Simon said.
The city is planning more fuel-reduction work on both sides of the river. Projects are set to begin later this year in areas south of Montaño and west of the river between Central and Cesar Chavez, once bird nesting season ends.
Simon said the city is testing new technology to catch fires early — the pilot program used heat and smoke sensors to spot the Tingley fire from more than half a mile away, detecting it through its heat signature.
“Early indications are, this technology is going to be useful and successful in the Bosque,” he said. “We look forward to moving from a pilot project to one in which we have multiple heat and smoke sensors that help be force multipliers to prevent fire in the Bosque.”
When asked whether the city plans to install surveillance cameras in the Bosque, Keller said it’s not a practical option.
“The challenges with cameras in the Bosque are twofold,” Keller said. “Number one, it would just take too many, like 10,000 cameras, because there’s no line of sight.”
He added that while cameras don’t make sense, the city is leaning into other technology.
“That’s why I want to emphasize that we’re piloting heat sensors,” Keller said. “These heat sensors worked. So far, our pilot was a success.”
Keller said the city hopes to eventually deploy heat sensors throughout the Albuquerque Bosque. With a range of at least half a mile, he said, “We could actually feasibly do that.”
Volunteer programs
Simon said the public also plays a critical role.
Open Space volunteer corps like Fire Watch, Trail Watch, and the new Bosque Stewards program train residents to help monitor and protect open space.
“We just recently graduated eight new volunteers from our fire Watch program, and those volunteers are going to be patrolling the Bosque during this critical fire season,” Simon said. “The Bosque Stewards program, which is the newest of our volunteer cadres, has just graduated its first 15 volunteers, with another 15 set to train next week.”
“That right there is a total of 38 Burqueños who stepped forward to invest in protecting the city that they love and the Bosque and open space, lands that we cherish so much,” he said.
Get involved
Report incidents:
Call
- 911 – Fire/smoke
- 505-242-COPS (2677) – Suspicious activity
- 311 – Non-emergency issues like camps/trash/graffiti
Volunteer for Fire Watch, Trail Watch or Bosque Stewards. Visit oneabqvolunteers.com or cabq.gov to sign up.
