Suppression of a three-acre brush fire Tuesday afternoon temporarily ran amok when Velarde Fire Chief Eddie Velarde allegedly became frantic and was arrested for disorderly conduct while the blaze ensued.
Rio Arriba County Sheriff’s Lt. Adam Archuleta said he arrived at the scene around 3 p.m. at County Road 59A and noticed Velarde had lost control of the operation and his own composure.
“(Velarde) was yelling at the public, fire fighters and an off-duty officer,” Archuleta said. “He made comments about people being trapped inside the fire and nobody was trapped inside of the fire.”
Archuleta said he told Velarde to calm down. When Velarde became argumentative and refused, Archuleta directed Velarde to leave the scene several times, which Velarde ignored.
“I told him that he needed to calm down and he became argumentative,” Archuleta said. “And then I told him he needed to leave and that I was assuming control of the fire.”
Archuleta said at that point Velarde agreed to leave, but not in the manner in which Archuleta hoped.
“(Velarde) began yelling at fire personnel to pack it up and let it burn,” Archuleta said. “Some had started to roll up hoses while the fire was still burning.”
Archuleta said he then arrested Velarde and took control of the incident, directing personnel and bringing the fire under control within 15 minutes. Archuleta said Velarde had summoned to the scene almost every emergency response resource in the area.
“He over-exaggerated the whole incident,” Archuleta said. “I think he was just over-excited.”
Rio Arriba County Emergency Manager Mateo DeVargas confirmed none of the 30 personnel at the scene had been injured and as of 5:30 p.m. the fire was contained to smoldering. It burned three abandoned structures, DeVargas said. He said the cause of the fire was undetermined and under investigation by the County fire marshal.
Archuleta said Velarde had relaxed while in custody at the Department’s Española office and would have the option of being released on bond Tuesday night or taken to jail.