Desert Willow Complex Fire (Cotton and Cotton 2 Fires) Update 6/22/25

Desert Willow Complex Fire (Cotton and Cotton 2 Fires) Update 6/22/25

Highlights: Crews are still responding to the Cotton Fire, discovered Saturday, June 21, and the Cotton 2 Fire, which was discovered this morning across the river on the north side of the Main Street bridge in Los Lunas. Today local, state and federal crews have been working with air resources to respond to these fires, which have impacted structures in the area. Both fires are being managed as the Desert Willow Complex.

Fire Update: Crews working the fire overnight made good progress in reinforcing fire lines and identifying hot spots. Helicopter water drops and fixed wing slurry drops provided retardant to the fire area.

This morning at 7 a.m. the incident management team transitioned to NM Forestry Division. At approximately 9:30 a.m. a second fire was discovered on the west side of the Rio Grande River, north of the Main Street bridge.

Today, crews were engaged in suppression efforts along both sides of the river. Aerial support, including water drops, is ongoing over both fires. County resources are still working on structure protection of homes affected by the fires to ensure embers from the new start do not affect more homes. Retardant will be used as needed for structural protection. The cause of the fires is under investigation.

The Desert Willow Complex fire is estimated at 260 acres and is located in the bosque area of Los Lunas on the west and east sides of the Rio Grande, north and south of the Main Street bridge. The fire was discovered at 3:23 p.m on Saturday, June 21.

Structure Impact: 9 structures have been reported lost, 4 received major damage, 1 minor damage. An additional 36 structures have been affected either by smoke impacts or slurry drops over the area. Information per Valencia County Emergency Office.

Evacuations / Closures: Evacuations in "Go" Status: East Side of the River from Chughole Dr. south to Main Street. Evacuation "READY" Status on West Side of the River from Behnke Rd. to Los Lentas, and everything south to Main Street. Damaged homes in the area are part of an active crime scene, and public will not be admitted to those areas. An estimated 1,300 residents have been affected by these evacuations.

Shelters: Daniel Fernandez Recreation Center, 1103 NM-314, Los Lunas, NM 87031, where American Red Cross has relief efforts for displaced residents. Large animals can go to the Sheriff's Posse at the I-25 Bypass in the City of Belen.

Returning to Homes: Residents returning to homes that have been impacted by retardant drops should consider using personalized protective equipment such as long sleeves, eye protection, and gloves for cleaning purposes. Use water to clean surfaces and a wet-vac for any retardant exposure within the interior of the home.

Flight Restriction: Due to aircraft operating on the incident, no drones will be allowed to fly in the area. Flying of drones will force air resources to be grounded immediately. If you fly, they can't.

Acres: 260 per aerial mapping and ground truthing.                   Containment: 0%.

Start Date/ Time: 3:23 p.m., 6/21/25                 Fuels: Bosque, cottonwood, riparian invasives.

Cause: Under investigation.           Location: Bosque area in Los Lunas south and north of Main St. Bridge, east and west sides of the Rio Grande.

Ownership: Private.

Weather: Current temperature is 96 degrees, relative humidity is 6%. Winds are from the southwest at 10 mph, gusts to 23 mph.

Smoke: Individuals sensitive to wildfire smoke should take precautions and use the New Mexico Department of Health 5-3-1 Visibility Method to determine if it's safe to be outside. Learn more at
https://nmtracking.doh.nm.gov/environment/air/FireAndSmoke.html 
An interactive smoke map at https://fire.airnow.gov/  allows you to zoom into your area to see the latest smoke conditions.

Resources: NM Forestry Division N6S, Mimbres crew, Rio Grande crew. Carson IHC hotshots, 1 stick of Smokejumpers, Valencia County FD Wildland, Albuquerque Fire Rescue, Bernalillo County, Belen Fire, Town of Bernalillo, Cochiti Pueblo, North Dakota engine crew. Los Lunas Fire, Albuquerque Fire, Rio Communities Fire, Peralta Fire and Bosque Farms Fire are providing structure protection. Law enforcement includes Valencia County Sheriffs, Belen PD, Los Lunas PD, Isleta PD, Bosque Farms PD, NM State Police. 15
type-6 or type-3 engines. 4 helicopters, 4 water tenders. Total personnel over 150. Resources will be updated with tomorrow's notification.