Wildfire in Jemez Mountains, New Mexico

The Las Conchas wildfire damaged 80 homes, of which, 15 were primary residences. The other 65 homes were seasonal. Numerous outbuildings were also damaged or destroyed and 10 vehicles were completely destroyed. The fire prompted evacuations of Los Alamos National Labs, Bandelier National Monument, the city of Los Alamos, as well as numerous other campgrounds and homes within the burn area itself. The fire burned portions of the Santa Clara, Cochiti, San Ildefonso and Santa Domingo Indian Reservations as well as portions of Bandelier National Monument and the Valles Caldera National Preserve. This fire burned on both sides of Highway 4, and up to Highway 501, causing both highways to be closed for a time. Some of this area was previously burned by the Cerro Grande Fire in 2000. Fortunately, no member of the public or any emergency responders were seriously injured during the fire suppression efforts.

The Las Conchas wildfire began when a tree fell on a power line 12 miles southwest of Los Alamos on June 26th. The fire quickly spread eastward under windy and unstable conditions, covering more than 40,000 acres the first day. The fire was contained by the end of the month. In all, this fire burned 156,593 acres, making it the largest fire in New Mexico history.