Embers were from burn on his land
By Clara Garcia
Valencia County News-Bulletin
Albuquerque Journal (New Mexico)
Copyright 2007 Albuquerque Journal
BELEN, N.M. — Mike Ortega has been into the breach many times during his 20-year career as a firefighter, but Friday’s bosque fire near Belen was different.
Ortega, 42, a captain with the Albuquerque Fire Department’s C Battalion, has been issued a written warning for accidentally starting the fire, which scorched nearly 500 acres and destroyed one home.
“I took all the precautions ... and I don’t know why it happened. If there hadn’t been any wind, it probably wouldn’t have ever happened,” Ortega said.
As hundreds of residents on the east side of the river were evacuated from their homes Friday, one mobile home and a large hay barn were destroyed by fire. Firefighters were successful in defending dozens of homes in the fire’s path, mostly in the Vista del Rio Mobile Home Park off N.M. 304.
Valencia County Fire Chief Charles Eaton said he believes the fire was ignited by a smoldering ember from a small burn Ortega started nearly 18 hours earlier on Thursday afternoon in the middle of his 2-acre pasture near his home. Eaton said Ortega did what he was supposed to do - he burned on a day when it was allowed and immediately doused the fire with water.
But according to Eaton and Ortega, something in the pile - most likely manure - was still hot, and when the winds picked up Friday, the embers reignited and were blown into the brush more than 75 feet away, sparking the fire.
Eaton said Monday more than 150 firefighters - including Ortega, who had been called at work by a neighbor - from local, state and federal departments worked all weekend to make sure winds didn’t reignite the blaze.
It was 90 percent contained Monday afternoon, and no major fire activity was seen during the day, according to The Associated Press.
Also, according to the AP, Sen. Pete Domenici, R-N.M., announced Monday that the Federal Emergency Management Agency is expected to fund 75 percent of the firefighting costs, with the state paying for the rest.