Highlights: Crews continue to maintain and improve containment lines on the Desert Willow Complex Fire. Containment on Cotton 1 has been raised to 80%, and Cotton 2 to 50%. The public should continue to avoid the bosque where heavy machinery and firefighters are working.
Update: Today, response crews will continue their work mopping up in the bosque. Mop-up activities include continuing to secure fire line, removal of hazardous trees, and tackling interior heat. As the day's sunshine moves over the area, fuels may become hotter as they dry. Within the Cotton 2 area, these fuels may produce small drifts of smoke as the embers contained in them begin to dry out following yesterday's rains. These drifts of smoke are not cause for concern.
Air assets were released yesterday from the fire, however drones should not be flown over the fire area to ensure firefighter safety on the ground during the coming days. The public should continue to avoid the bosque area while crews engage in suppression activities.
Good progress has been made by firefighters over the last days. At the end of today's shift, the Incident Management Team may consider downsizing for tomorrow and releasing some resources.
The Desert Willow Complex fire is 237 acres and is located in the bosque area of Los Lunas on the west and east sides of the Rio Grande, near the Main Street bridge. The fire was discovered at 3:23 p.m. on Saturday, June 21.
Returning to Homes: Phos-Chek MVP-fx was used as a fire retardant during initial attack and is non-toxic. Residents should consider using personalized protective equipment such as long sleeves, eye protection, and gloves for cleaning purposes. Use water to clean exterior surfaces and a wet-vac for any retardant exposure within the interior of the home. A safety data sheet about Phos-Chek is available here.
Community Information: Daniel Fernandez Center is available as a community service center for the rest of the week.
Donations are available for residents impacted by the fire. The Village of Los Lunas will accept monetary donations through a partnership with United Way: https://give.uwncnm.org/campaign/699958/donate.
Community information on the fire and services is available on the Village of Los Lunas website: https://www.loslunasnm.gov/1347/Desert-Willow-Complex-Fire-Information
Weather: Currently 77 degrees, 42% RH. Sunny, with a high near 93. Calm winds becoming southeast around 5 mph in the afternoon.
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Acres: Cotton 1: 95. Cotton 2 - 142. Total: 237 per further mapping and ground truthing.
Containment: Cotton 1 - 80%. Cotton 2 - 50%.
Start Date/ Time: 3:23 p.m., 6/21/25
Fuels: Bosque, cottonwood, riparian invasives.
Cause: Human.
Location: Bosque area in Los Lunas south and north of Main St. Bridge, east and west sides of the Rio Grande.
Ownership: Private.
Structure Impact: 11 structures have been reported lost, 4 have major or minor damage, per Valencia County.
Resources: NM Forestry Division, Carson IHC hotshots, 1 stick of Smokejumpers, Valencia County, Albuquerque Fire Rescue, Bernalillo County, Belen Fire, Town of Bernalillo, Cochiti Pueblo, North Dakota engine crew, Middle Rio Grande Conservancy District, National Park Service, Forest Service. Los Lunas Fire, Albuquerque Fire, Rio Communities Fire, Peralta Fire, City of Santa Fe, Bosque Farms Fire. Law enforcement includes Valencia County Sheriffs, Belen PD, Los Lunas PD, Isleta PD, Bosque Farms PD, and NM State Police. Total personnel: 100
