San Juan County Fire & Rescue

Swipe for before and after!

This afternoon, a cottonwood fell across Road 3000, completely blocking the road.

Fortunately we carry chainsaws and strong backs on our trucks, and had the road re-opened in about 40 minutes.

I guess in this case, the fire part was just making firewood!

If you were wondering, traffic is reopened on Road 3000.

From the “sometimes something gets somewhere it shouldn’t and now we don’t know how to get it out” file…

C Shift had an instance of a cat stuck in a pipe last night.
No, that’s not a punch line.

Why didn’t the cat get out since it got in there?
Better question is: “How did the cat get in there!?”

We asked. The cat wouldn’t tell us.

After some cutting, the cat was freed and has found a new home with a firefighter.

And now we are taking name suggestions!
What do you think about:

Blaze
Chief David Vega Junior
Hurst (That’s the brand name of the jaws of life tool we use)
Ladder
Halligan (that’s a tool we use)
Pulaski (also a tool)
Spot
Catty McCatFace
Tony
Smokey
Sticky (cause it was stuck)

Or suggest your own name in the comments!

Update: 11:37am:
This fire is under control and was contained to several outbuildings. There are no injuries and the cause is under investigation.

*original post-*Right now crews are responding to a shed fire on Road 2928 in Aztec.
Please give first responders the right of way.

You may get tired of hearing about the training we do, but it’s constant. And a lot of our training is for low frequency- high acuity events. Translation: it doesn’t happen much, but it’s pretty serious.

In this case, crews are practicing high-angle rescue, with the help of County Ladder 14.
We have a patient (a fiberglass patient this time) who needs to be removed from a low area. The solution is loading the patient into a Stokes basket, and hoisting patient and rescuer out of the area.

Anyway, just another peek behind the scenes of what’s happening when we aren’t on calls.

9:50 Saturday, May 30

Crews are addressing a vehicle crash that has the eastbound lanes of NM 516 closed at Road 3263.

Expect delays for a while and please drive safe!

Red flag warning in effect today, which means double super secret no burning.

Bad news, crew.

Red flag warning in effect for today.
THAT MEANS: low humidity, high winds, warm temps, and high fire danger.
We are already under a state-imposed fire ban, but be EXTRA CAREFUL today!

From the US National Weather Service Albuquerque New Mexico :..RED FLAG WARNING IN EFFECT FROM NOON TO 8 PM MDT FRIDAY DUE TO STRONG WINDS AND LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY FOR WESTERN NEW MEXICO... .Dry south-southwest winds with peak gusts of 35 to 45 mph ahead of a storm system over the Great Basin combined with low minimum humidity values in the upper single digits to low teens and dry fuels will result in a greater risk for rapid fire spread from any new sparks along and west of the Rio Grande Valley and Northwest Plateau Friday afternoon.

NMZ101-105-109-291000-
/O.NEW.KABQ.FW.W.0040.260529T1800Z-260530T0200Z/
Northwest Plateau-West Central Mountains-West Central Basin and
Range-
1213 PM MDT Thu May 28 2026
..RED FLAG WARNING IN EFFECT FROM NOON TO 8 PM MDT FRIDAY...

The National Weather Service in Albuquerque NM has issued a Red Flag
Warning.

* AFFECTED AREA...Northwest Plateau (Zone 101), West Central
Mountains (Zone 105), and West Central Basin and Range (Zone 109).

* TIMING...From noon to 8 PM MDT Friday.

* 20 FOOT WINDS...Southwest winds 15 to 25 mph with gusts up to 45
mph.

* RELATIVE HUMIDITY...Minimum Relative Humidity values between 7 to
12 percent.

* IMPACTS...Any fires that develop will spread rapidly. Outdoor
burning is not recommended.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

Please advise the appropriate officials or fire crews in the field
of this Red Flag Warning.

&&

Fact: Life jackets only work if you wear them!

Before you and your family get out on the water this year, grab a life jacket and "Wear It!" Nearly 83 percent of those who drown while boating were not wearing a life jacket.

Wearing a life jacket is one of the most effective and simple life-saving strategies for safe recreational boating. Boaters are required to have a U.S. Coast Guard-approved life jacket on board for every passenger on their vessel.

Juan County Office of Emergency Management

https://www.weather.gov/safety/safeboating-lifejackets

Remember the ‘rescue’ part of Fire & Rescue? Well, rescues make up about 60% of what we do on a daily basis. Everything from car crashes, to medical emergencies, and downed power lines. And sometimes… that includes large animals.
Our crews took a large animal rescue class this week to brush up on the skills that may be needed. After all, there are a few large animals in the County.
And let’s be honest. An animal that outweighs a first responder by 6 times, or more, can present some very specific challenges.
We got to practice with a horse rescue dummy (Who knew there was such a thing!?!) and some real animals too!
Just another way that we are prepared to respond to your emergency.

*Edit* The road is now open. Please drive safely!

*Original Post*
Crews are with the and at the 84-mile marker on US 64 with a semi-trailer roll over.

Traffic is down to one lane while the wreck is removed.

The driver suffered minor injuries.

Right now!!

SJCFR, Farmington Fire Department, and BLM Fire are on scene of a small brush fire south of Farmington Museum on Burnham Road. The fire is contained and no longer spreading.