Rio Grande Fire near Bosque Farms destroys homes, forces evacuations, New Mexico
A fast-moving wildfire named the Rio Grande Fire has burned approximately 61 ha (150 acres) near Bosque Farms in Valencia County, New Mexico, with 0% containment as of early April 18, 2025.
The fire started just before 16:00 MDT on April 17 at the far west end of Lillie Drive, burning through the Bosque area under Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) jurisdiction. It has since rapidly spread across both sides of the Rio Grande River, driven by dry fuels, including grass, brush, and cottonwood, as well as extreme weather conditions.
Three structures have been confirmed destroyed, although initial field estimates reported 5 to 10 structures impacted. The cause of the fire is under investigation.
Evacuations were ordered for residents living West of W Bosque Loop between Lillie and Cottonwood Drive, and from Lillie north to Truchas Trail. Residents were advised to evacuate immediately and follow all directives from local authorities.
An evacuation center has been established at the Daniel Fernandez Recreation Center, located at 1103 NM-314 in Los Lunas. Those needing assistance with livestock retrieval were instructed to contact the Bosque Farms Fire Department directly.
At the time of the latest report, weather conditions were complicating suppression efforts. Temperatures were around 25°C (77°F), relative humidity was 7%, and sustained winds were 48 km/h (30 mph) with gusts reaching up to 82 km/h (51 mph). The conditions are consistent with critical fire weather, increasing the likelihood of rapid fire spread and spot fires.
Multiple agencies have mobilized to combat the fire under a unified command structure, including Valencia County Fire Department, Bosque Farms Fire Department, Peralta Fire, Los Lunas Fire and others.
An Emergency Operations Center (EOC) has been activated at the Bosque Farms Fire Station to coordinate interagency response and resource deployment.
Read more:
References:
1 Rio Grande Fire Notification – Valencia County – 4/17/2025
Featured image: Rio Grande Fire, New Mexico on April 17, 2025. Credit: The Hotshot Wake Up
I'm a dedicated researcher, journalist, and editor at The Watchers. With over 20 years of experience in the media industry, I specialize in hard science news, focusing on extreme weather, seismic and volcanic activity, space weather, and astronomy, including near-Earth objects and planetary defense strategies. You can reach me at teo /at/ watchers.news.
Commenting rules and guidelines
We value the thoughts and opinions of our readers and welcome healthy discussions on our website. In order to maintain a respectful and positive community, we ask that all commenters follow these rules.