Unified Fire grows to 500 acres with evacuations

WE BEGIN WITH BREAKING NEWS. CREWS BATTLING A FIRE IN THE BOSQUE, SOUTH OF BELEN. EVACUATIONS ARE GROWING AND OFFICIALS WARN MORE COULD COME OVERNIGHT. A LIVE LOOK NOW AS CREWS BATTLE THE FLAMES. THIS IS ON THE WEST SIDE OF THE RIVER NEAR THE CORRALES POST OFFICE. THE LATEST EVACUATIONS COMING FOR RESIDENTS ON RIO STABLES ROAD. EVACUATIONS ALSO ORDERED ON LAGRIMA ROAD AND MADRONE FLYWAY NEAR HIGHWAY 304. THAT HIGHWAY REMAINS CLOSED. EVACUATION SHELTERS ARE AT THE BELEN COMMUNITY CENTER AND AT 108 RIO COMMUNITIES BOULEVARD. HERE’S WHAT WE KNOW RIGHT NOW OFFICIALS GIVING THESE UPDATES JUST AFTER 8:00 THIS EVENING. IT’S GROWN TO 500 ACRES, UP SIGNIFICANTLY FROM 125 ACRES AT THE PREVIOUS UPDATE THIS AFTERNOON. IT IS 0% CONTAINED. NO STRUCTURES HAVE BEEN LOST. NO ONE HURT. AROUND 265 HOMES ARE WITHOUT POWER BECAUSE PNM HAD TO CUT LINES IMPACTED BY THE FIRE, AND THE FIRE HAS BEEN MOVING NORTH, AND THERE ARE REPORTS OF ASH FALLING IN NEIGHBORHOODS THIS EVENING. THE FLAMES JUMPING THE RIVER. SO IT IS NOW BURNING ON BOTH SIDES WITH THE TYPE OF FIRE ACTIVITY THAT WE’RE SEEING. IT’S DEVELOPING A LOT OF SPOT FIRES AS WELL. THAT’S HOW THE FIRE SPOTTED ACROSS THE RIVER. AND SO THEY’RE WORKING ON MULTIPLE FRONTS RIGHT NOW. THEY’RE ON BOTH SIDES OF THE RIVER. STRUCTURE PROTECTION AGAIN IS A PRIORITY. AND YOU KNOW AS THIS THIS FIRE SEASON IS KICKING OFF EARLY. IT’S ONLY IN MARCH. AND YOU KNOW, WE HAVE A RATHER LARGE EVENT. THIS IS A LOOK OBVIOUSLY MUCH EARLIER FROM SKY 7. A LOT OF SMOKE AND FLAMES. AS YOU SAW AT ONE POINT, THERE WAS CONCERN OF THE FIRE BURNING CLOSE TO A NATURAL GAS PIPELINE. BUT CREWS SAY THAT IS NO LONGER A CONCERN. AND THIS IS ANOTHER LIVE LOOK. YOU CAN SEE THE FLAMES AND A LOT OF SMOKE. THEY’RE BURNING THERE. DOWN THERE BY CORRALES AND CHIEF METEOROLOGIST. BYRON MORTON IS TRACKING WIND THERE WITH CONDITIONS. THE FIREFIGHTERS ARE UP AGAINST. YEAH. AND YOU KNOW, WE LOOK AT THIS AND WE SEE JUST HOW BRIGHT THAT IS A REALLY SCARY SCENE THERE FROM THAT FIRE. AND THEY HAD RECORD HEAT IN THE AREA FOR TODAY, WHICH NOT ONLY MAKES IT TOUGH FOR THE FIREFIGHTERS, BUT THAT REALLY DRIES OUT THAT VEGETATION FOR EVERY ONE DEGREE INCREASE IN THE HEAT, WE GET A 2 TO 4% LOSS OF THE MOISTURE FROM THE VEGETATION AROUND THAT FIRE, AND ALSO FROM THE GROUND NEARBY TOO. SO WE’RE LOOKING AT A VERY DIRE SITUATION THERE AS FAR AS THE MOISTURE IS CONCERNED. AND ALSO, OF COURSE, THE VEGETATION IS DRYING OUT AND WE CAN SEE THE SMOKE FROM KOAT SET WITH THE RADAR. RIGHT NOW, WHAT I WANT YOU TO NOTICE IS THAT WE SAW A LOT OF SMOKE A COUPLE OF HOURS AGO, THIS TWO HOUR LOOP, BUT WE’RE NOT SEEING AS MUCH NOW. TYPICALLY AT NIGHT WE SEE SINKING AIR AS THE AIR COOLS IN THE ATMOSPHERE. WE SEE THAT AIR SINKING. SO THAT PRESSES THAT SMOKE CLOSER TO THE GROUND, WHICH COULD CREATE SOME AIR QUALITY ISSUES FOR PEOPLE IN THE AREA OF THE FIRE. SO JUST KEEP THAT IN MIND. IF YOU’RE IN THAT AREA. RESPIRATORY AILMENTS WANT TO KEEP YOUR WINDOWS CLOSED? OF COURSE. FOLLOW ANY EVACUATION ORDERS. NOT LOOKING AT ANY WIND AT THE SURFACE IN THE BERLIN AREA RIGHT NOW. ZERO RIGHT NOW. CALM WIND 67 DEGREES. CURRENT TEMPERATURE. THE WIND IS EXPECTED TO STAY LIGHT AS WE HEAD THROUGH TOMORROW, WHICH IS GOOD NEWS FOR THE FIREFIGHTERS. BUT I DO THINK FOR THURSDAY WE HAVE SOME STRONGER BREEZES PICK UP NOT ONLY FOR THE AREA FIRE, BUT INTO THE NORTHEASTERN PART OF THE STATE. WE HAVE FIRE WEATHER WATCHES IN EFFECT, AND PRETTY MUCH ALL PARTS OF NEW MEXICO HAVE CRITICAL FIRE CONDITIONS. AND THEN LOOKING AHEAD TO THE WEEKEND, WE’LL HAVE THE POTENTIAL OF SOME DRY LIGHTNING, WHICH COULD SPARK MORE FIRES IN NEW MEXICO. WE WILL HAVE A CHANCE OF SOME RAINFALL FROM THESE STORMS, BUT RIGHT NOW IT LOOKS LIKE PRIMARILY THE ONSET WILL BE OF

Bosque fire near Belen grows to 500 acres with evacuations ordered

The Unified Fire has shifted and is burning on both sides of the Rio Grande

Updated: 10:31 PM MDT Mar 24, 2026

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Fire crews are responding to a significant Bosque fire south of Belen in Valencia County. The fire is being dubbed the “Unified Fire” and is burning south of Rio Communities in Valencia County. The fire is burning through the Bosque along the east side of the Rio Grande. The flames then jumped to the other side of the river around 7 p.m. Tuesday, March 24.The latest evacuation order has been made for residents on Rio Grande Stables Road. The Valencia County Fire Department said about 265 homes are without power.An Albuquerque Fire Rescue spokesperson said further evacuations are possible. No structures have been lost as of Tuesday evening.Evacuations have been ordered for residents on Lagrima Road and Madrone Flyway near Highway 304. The highway remains closed at Lagrima Road.Falling ash has been reported in some areas, including those that were evacuated, according to AFR.Evacuation shelter have been established at 108 Rio Communities Boulevard in Rio Communities and at the Belen Community Center at 305 Eagle Lane in Belen. AFR Lt. Jason Fejer said the state Forestry Division will now be leading the wildfire response.Unified Fire InformationAcres: 500 estimated. Containment: 0% contained. Start Date / Time: Approximately 11 a.m. on Tuesday, March 23. Fuels: Grass, brush, timber and timber understory. Cause: Under investigation. Location: Madrone, east of I-25, south of Rio Communities in Valencia County. Ownership: State and private. Structure Threat: No structures have been lost.No injuries have been reported as of Tuesday evening.

BELEN, N.M. —

Fire crews are responding to a significant Bosque fire south of Belen in Valencia County.

The fire is being dubbed the “Unified Fire” and is burning south of Rio Communities in Valencia County.

The fire is burning through the Bosque along the east side of the Rio Grande. The flames then jumped to the other side of the river around 7 p.m. Tuesday, March 24.

The latest evacuation order has been made for residents on Rio Grande Stables Road. The Valencia County Fire Department said about 265 homes are without power.

An Albuquerque Fire Rescue spokesperson said further evacuations are possible. No structures have been lost as of Tuesday evening.

Evacuations have been ordered for residents on Lagrima Road and Madrone Flyway near Highway 304. The highway remains closed at Lagrima Road.

Falling ash has been reported in some areas, including those that were evacuated, according to AFR.

Evacuation shelter have been established at 108 Rio Communities Boulevard in Rio Communities and at the Belen Community Center at 305 Eagle Lane in Belen.

AFR Lt. Jason Fejer said the state Forestry Division will now be leading the wildfire response.

Unified Fire Information

• Acres: 500 estimated.
• Containment: 0% contained.
• Start Date / Time: Approximately 11 a.m. on Tuesday, March 23.
• Fuels: Grass, brush, timber and timber understory.
• Cause: Under investigation.
• Location: Madrone, east of I-25, south of Rio Communities in Valencia County.
• Ownership: State and private.
• Structure Threat: No structures have been lost.

No injuries have been reported as of Tuesday evening.