Highlights: Yesterday's fire suppression activities brought increased containment for the two fires of the Desert Willow Complex.
Evacuations and road closures were also lifted, allowing residents to return to their homes. Today, efforts will focus on extinguishing hot spots in the bosque area, removal of hazard trees, and rehabilitation activities in the bosque. Containment for the Cotton 1 fire stands at 40%; Cotton 2 is 25%. Both fires' total acreage burned is 237.
Update: All firelines held overnight and today, crews will begin working in the bosque areas to extinguish any remaining hot spots. They will do this through a process called "gridding," in which firefighters line out evenly spaced and move across a burned area, inspecting for any signs of heat or smoldering vegetation. Today's goal is to secure all interior heat by the end of the shift. Hazardous tree removal in the bosque will begin today, which includes removal of fire-damaged trees. Only trees that pose a direct threat to public and firefighter safety will be cut down.
Air operations are still in place and helicopters will be utilized for water drops as necessary. A Temporary Flight Restriction (TFR) is in place over the fire area. No drones are allowed over the fire area. Any drone activity over the fire area will be investigated by law enforcement.
Resource advisors from the US Forest Service will be working within the bosque to document retardant effects in the area, focusing on the waterways and shoreline. They will be working with county resources for further rehabilitation efforts in the area.
A message from Andrew Lopez, Incident Commander, and Kevin Pacheco Incident Commander Trainee: "On behalf of the Incident Command Team of the Desert Willow Complex, we'd like to extend our thanks to the following agencies for their efforts during this incident: Valencia County Fire Department, Valencia County Sheriff's Office, City of Los Lunas, Middle Rio Grande Conservancy District, City of Los Lunas, Los Lunas Middle School, First Baptist Church of Los Lunas. We would also like to thank Mariscos Altamar, Buffalo Wild Wings, Kentucky Fried Chicken, and Los Lunas Walmart for their donations during this time."
The Desert Willow Complex fire is estimated at 237 acres and is located in the bosque area of Los Lunas on the west and east sides of the Rio Grande, near the Main Street bridge. The fire was discovered at 3:23 p.m on Saturday, June 21.
Returning to Homes: Pink-colored fire retardant was used during initial attack to protect homes from fire damage. This product is Phos-Chek MVP-fx and is non-toxic.
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 exterior surfaces and a wet-vac for any retardant exposure within the interior of the home.
A safety data sheet about Phos-Chek is available at this link: https://www.perimeter-solutions.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/PHOS-CHEK-MVP-Fx-EN-Australia-GHS-SDS-2020-03-19.pdf
Area Safety: The public and firefighters should proceed with caution over the coming days as response crews will be working in the area and operating heavy machinery. The bosque area by the river is still considered hazardous due to fire suppression activity, and due to natural hazards such as fire-damaged trees, smoke, and heavy equipment use.
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.
Structure Impact: 10 structures have been reported lost, 4 have major or minor damage, per Valencia County.
Community Information: A shelter is still in operation at the Daniel Fernandez Center at 1103 NM-314, Los Lunas, NM 87031. The American Red Cross continues to be stationed there for recovery efforts. Donations are no longer accepted as the shelter has reached capacity. Monetary donations will be accepted through a partnership with United Way: https://give.uwncnm.org/campaign/699958/donate .
More information about community efforts is available on the Village of Los Lunas website: https://www.loslunasnm.gov/
Weather: Currently 82 degrees, 42% RH, winds from the south at 17mph. A Flood Watch is in effect for the area from 12pm – late this evening. Chance of showers and possibly a thunderstorm, mainly before midnight, then a chance of showers and thunderstorms after midnight.
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Acres: Cotton 1: 95. Cotton 2 - 142. Total: 237 per further mapping and ground truthing.
Containment: Cotton 1 - 40%. Cotton 2 - 25% 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.
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, Albuquerque Fire Rescue, Bernalillo County, Belen Fire, Town of Bernalillo, Cochiti Pueblo, North Dakota engine crew, Middle Rio Grande Conservancy District, National Park Service, Forest Service. Los Lunas Fire, Albuquerque Fire, Rio Communities Fire, Peralta Fire, City of Santa Fe, Bosque Farms Fire. Law enforcement includes Valencia County Sheriffs, Belen PD, Los Lunas PD, Isleta PD, Bosque Farms PD, NM State Police. Total personnel: 141
