An Española apartment complex caught on fire on Saturday morning, leaving eight people without housing.
The fire occurred at La Vista Del Rio Apartments, located at 1911 Avenida Cañada, east of South McCurdy Road, in El Llano.
The cause of the fire is still under investigation, Assistant Española Fire Chief John Wickersham said. Española Fire Marshal Pablo Montoya is working with the New Mexico State Fire Marshal’s office to determine the cause.
“We went defensive right away,” Wickersham said. “Everybody was evacuated. Nobody was in the building. We evacuated everybody safely.”
One person is reported to have been treated for smoke inhalation.
Four of the eight apartment units were occupied at the time of the fire and eight people were displaced, he said.
City of Española Social Services Director Michelle Fraire arrived at the scene to assist the victims. She worked with the Red Cross to secure housing vouchers for them and get them into hotel rooms in Santa Fe.
Fraire did not return a phone call seeking more information about the status of those affected by the fire.
Wickersham said it was challenging to find hotel rooms for the victims because hotels in Santa Fe were full of visitors staying there to attend the International Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta, which ended on Sunday.
Cause
The fire spread quickly due to the building frame.
It started on the first floor and flames went up the walls and into the attic, Wickersham said. The building has a balloon frame, a type of open frame construction with continuous joints from floor to ceiling. The wall cavities between the studs allow for flames to travel up the length of the building and onto the roof.
“(The fire) just went up into the attic and spread and once you go into the attic, there’s really no stopping it,” Wickersham said. The apartment owner is renovating another property and plans to expedite repairs so the families will not be displaced and without housing long-term, Wickersham said.
Extinguishing the fire took about six hours. Firefighters used the ladder truck due to the height of the building.
An initial call reporting the fire was received at the Española/Rio Arriba E-911 Center at 11:42 a.m., and the fire department received the page at 11:45 a.m. Police and firefighters were on scene in 10 minutes and the fire was extinguished at 6:52 p.m.
Three fire departments assisted the city: Agua Sana Fire Department, La Mesilla Fire Department and Santa Clara Fire Department.