The City of Moriarty Fire Department, firefighters and other emergency personnel were dispatched to the area of Lexco Rd. and Fernandez Rd. for a structure fire around 11:45 a.m. on Sunday, March 3. The cause is still undetermined, but the wind-driven fire appears to have started in a mobile home which quickly spread, burning four acres of land, several cars and outbuildings. The mobile home was a total loss, displacing residents who are receiving assistance from the Red Cross.
Moriarty Fire Chief Tom Hart was the incident commander of the effort to extinguish the blaze.
One firefighter received medical treatment for minor injuries and is expected to make a full recovery. This was the second fire extinguished by the Moriarty Fire Department in just over 48 hours. On March 1 around 9:10 p.m., an RV fire believed to be electrical in nature was brought under control before it could spread to adjoining structures with no injuries reported.
County emergency volunteers
The Torrance County Emergency Management Department is responsible for planning and preparation for events like Sunday’s fire. The department employs only a handful of full and part-time employees, and just like the Torrance County, Moriarty, and Estancia Fire Departments, they rely on volunteer workers to operate efficiently. Wildfire season in New Mexico is just beginning and firefighters have already had their hands full this year.
TCEM is accepting applications for the Civilian Volunteer Association, a program that requests assistance from the public in setting up shelters for stranded motorists during inclement weather causing road closures, or for displaced residents in the event of another wildfire that destroys homes. In addition to setting up and manning shelters, Emergency Manager Samantha O’Dell wants the community to sign up for the new program which also assists with emergency pet and livestock care, and provides staff support for emergency personnel.
The Emergency Management Department page at (torrancecountynm.org) has dozens of tips outlining exactly what to do “when,” not “if” a wildfire occurs. According to the guides, homeowners can take steps to remove adjacent brush or other fuels from their property to ensure that small fires do not spread, keeping their homes isolated from wind-driven fires like the mobile home fire in Moriarty. To participate in the new program, applications can be found for the Volunteer Association is available at their website.