Grants fire contained, homes destroyed; 350-plus acres burned in Socorro

A fire that damaged eight homes and injured two firefighters in Grants appears to be human-caused while an over 350-acre fire in Socorro has not been contained as of Monday afternoon.

“I am not saying it’s arson,” Grants Fire & Rescue Chief Mike Maes said during a Monday news conference. “It could have been accidental.”

At 7:05 p.m. Sunday, a person called 911 to report a fire on Sage Avenue and Alamo Street on the east side of Grants, he said. Winds pushed the 3-5-acre brush and grass fire east, damaging homes and injuring two firefighters, he said.

“Craziest, wildest, scariest evening in my life,” resident Alexiah Garcia wrote in a Facebook post. “Never imagined running through our house packing as much as possible in case we had to leave our new home.”

The Grants Police Department started evacuating residents and “due to their efforts, we do not have a civilian loss of life or injury,” Maes said.

Grants resident Michael Garcia said on Facebook he lost his art studio and tool shed during the incident, “but my home is OK.”

“I have nothing but praise and respect for all firefighters and professionals that responded to this,” Garcia said.

Evacuated residents were allowed to return to their homes on Monday, Maes said.

While the fire is 100% contained, firefighters will continue looking for hot spots, New Mexico State Forestry Division spokesperson George Ducker said.

“To the families affected: We’re praying for you. We’ll stand by you. We’ll continue to support you,” Grants Mayor Erik Garcia said.

About 130 miles southeast of Grants, Lt. Gov. Howie Morales met with Socorro city officials about the Otero Fire.

“Right now, it’s a very vulnerable time. The ecosystem is so fragile, especially along the river,” Morales told the El Defensor Chieftain. “A big reason for (my) being here today is to get an update, but also to raise awareness across the whole state that fire season is upon us.”

At 5 p.m. Sunday, about 70 firefighters responded to a fire on the eastern side of Socorro, adjacent to the Rio Grande, Socorro County Manager Andrew Lotrich said.

“All fire lines held last night with mop duty today,” Lotrich told the Chieftain.

No structures were threatened in the Otero Fire, Ducker said. As of Monday afternoon, 364 acres burned and zero percent was contained.

“I’m sure the wind played a factor in the fires,” Ducker said. Wind gusts were 40-45 mph in Cibola and Socorro counties on Sunday, according to the National Weather Service of Albuquerque.

The cause of the Otero Fire is under investigation, Lotrich said.