By Kathryn Holzka
Albuquerque Journal (New Mexico)
Copyright 2006 Albuquerque Journal
TAOS, N.M. — Someone set fire to the state Motor Vehicle Division in Taos over the weekend, causing enough damage to keep the office closed for months.
Police said Monday arson was the cause of the fire early Sunday morning.
“There’s no question that the fire was deliberately set,” said Detective Barry Holfelder, who is conducting the investigation in conjunction with the state Fire Marshal’s Office and the Taos Fire Department.
“Three windows at the rear of the building were broken and an accelerant was placed inside and ignited,” Holfelder said. He said there was no entry made into the building at 1038 Salazar Road and no burglary.
A sign posted on the entry door to the building said the office would be closed until further notice and directed clients to MVD offices in Questa, Red River, Angel Fire or Española.
Ken Ortiz, director of the state Motor Vehicle Division, said all records are transmitted electronically to Santa Fe, so no documentation was lost in the fire. Any documents that weren’t burned were picked up and removed to a secure location in Santa Fe, he said. Ortiz said officials are hoping to find temporary quarters from which to serve the community while repairs are made to the current location.
The fire was reported around 12:45 a.m. by a resident who lives in the area and spotted flames coming from the building, Taos Administrative Fire Chief Eric Montoyasaid. He said it would be “a few months” before the building can be reoccupied.
Holfelder said there are no suspects at the moment but that evidence was found at the scene and is being processed by the State Police Crime Lab.
He said there was extensive fire damage to the MVD supervisor’s office and heat, smoke and water damage to the rest of the MVD office.
The building is shared by the MVD and the state Labor Department. There was some minor smoke to the latter office.
The Taos Volunteer Fire Department called out the fire around 3:30 a.m., Montoya said, adding that no one was injured fighting the fire.
The MVD office was boarded up Monday and piles of fire debris were still visible at the rear of the building where the fire is believed to have been started.
“This is an ongoing investigation and we are asking the public’s help to assist us,” Holfelder said.