Albuquerque Fire Rescue

06/01/2026

On Sunday, May 31, we experienced a fire at Hops & Dough Taproom. While it was a difficult and stressful moment, we were incredibly fortunate to have the dedicated team from Albuquerque Fire & Rescue respond quickly and professionally. Their courage, skill, and commitment helped protect our people, our guests, and our business when we needed it most.

We are deeply grateful for everything they did, and for the service they provide to our community every single day. From the bottom of our hearts, thank you, Albuquerque Fire & Rescue. ❤️🚒

We are still here, still serving, and we look forward to welcoming everyone back as we continue moving forward. If you'd like to support a local business during this time, stop by for a pizza, a drink, and a chance to help us write the next chapter.

06/01/2026

Small Airplane Crash
On May 31st at approximately 3:30pm, Albuquerque Fire Rescue was dispatched to Double Eagle Airport for a report of a small airplane crash. The first arriving unit was Bernalillo County Fire Engine 66. CE66 took command and gave a triage report of one patient who was already extricated from the aircraft with moderate injuries. No smoke of flames were present at the crash scene at time of arrival. County Engine 66 (CE66), County Rescue 66 (CR66), AFR Engine 22 (E22), and AFR Rescue 22 (R22) stabilized the scene within minutes of arrival, provided patient care and transport via Albuquerque Ambulance to a local hospital. AFR crews worked collaboratively with Bernalillo County Fire, Double Eagle Airport personnel, APD, and State Police to address the scene. No injuries to first responders. Law enforcement personnel from APD and State Police secured the scene.

05/29/2026

Friday Fleet Update:

Two new rescue units have arrived at AFR’s fleet facility. The new rescues will be decal’d and outfitted with equipment before being placed into service. These trucks are Braun North Stars built on Ford E450 chassis, powered by 7.3L Godzilla, gasoline engines.

These rescue units will be assigned to Rescue 4 and Rescue 5, both of which are among AFR’s busiest rescue companies. Rescue 4 responded to 3,612 calls last year, while Rescue 5 handled 4,134 calls.

The units being replaced will transition into the reserve fleet to continue supporting operations when needed.

AFR continues to prioritize fleet readiness through replacement schedules, preventive maintenance, repairs, and long-term apparatus planning to ensure crews have reliable equipment to serve the community.

05/29/2026

Albuquerque Fire Rescue released video showing firefighters battling a fire at a trailer park in March

MORE HERE: https://www.krqe.com/news/albuquerque-metro/albuquerque-fire-rescue-releases-video-of-crews-battling-difficult-mobile-home-park-fire/?utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook_KRQE_News_13

05/28/2026

On 5/28/2026 just before 3:00am, AFR was dispatched to the 4000 block of Lara NE for reports of a 29D-1H, vehicle into a building. Engine 16 arrived to find a vehicle that had collided into a residence with smoke coming from the garage. Engine 16 stretched a hoseline for fire control while Rescue 16 entered the structure to conduct a primary search.

The vehicle involved was an electric vehicle (EV) and smoke was coming from the battery pack. Crews coordinated with the tow truck operator to lift the vehicle, allowing firefighters to cool the battery pack from underneath to help prevent thermal runaway, a chemical chain reaction within lithium-ion batteries that can be extremely difficult to stop once fully established.

The driver of the vehicle was evaluated on scene. No other injuries were reported. APD investigated the cause of the crash.

05/28/2026

Incident Overview:

On April 30, 2026, at 2149 hours, AFR was dispatched to 530 Utah St SE for a reported mobile home fire. Alarm Room received multiple calls confirming several homes involved, with reports of trapped victims and canines. Searches were “all clear” of human victims, animals did perish.

Med 5 arrived and confirmed two mobile homes heavily involved, an urgent rescue profile, and multiple exposures threatened. Weather conditions included sustained winds of 30 mph with gusts to 40 mph.

Additional exposures included two vehicles, a storage shed, and a large tree.

Wind significantly impacted fire behavior by:

Accelerating horizontal fire spread and exposures issues.
Creating spot fires.
Reducing interior survivability.

Mobile and manufactured homes are highly vulnerable due to:

Lightweight construction and steel chassis design.
Thin interior materials and limited fire resistance.
Fire spread beneath structures via skirting and utilities.
Early compromise of roof and floor systems.

Operational Challenges:

Narrow access roads required single-file apparatus positioning.
800 feet of supply line required for water supply.
Reliance on tank water due to initial water supply delays.
Multiple lines increased water consumption rapidly.

Command and Control / Risk Profile:

Multiple simultaneous priorities (rescue, exposures, fire attack).
Increased collapse risk due to lightweight construction and wind-driven fire behavior.

Conclusion:

This incident involved a rapidly evolving wind-driven fire in a mobile home park with lightweight construction, limited access, multiple exposures, and an urgent rescue profile. Fully involved structures, strong winds, and delayed water supply created a complex operational environment requiring immediate coordinated action.

Key lessons reinforced include:

Importance of rapid, accurate size-up.
Early establishment of water supply.
Immediate exposure protection.
Identification of tenable space.

These factors highlight the ongoing operational challenges of mobile home park fires and reinforce the need for continued training, equipment evaluation, and tactical readiness.

05/28/2026

05/25/2026

On May 25, 2026 at approximately 0942 hours Albuquerque Fire Rescue was dispatched to 208 San Clemente Ave NE for reports of a fire at a multi-story, multi-family apartment building. Engine 6 arrived on scene and reported a working fire with smoke showing throughout the structure. Engine 6 declared and offensive strategy and performed fire suppression operations. The fire was located on the second floor and was brought under control within 23 minutes of their arrival. Damage to the structure was contained to the apartment of origin. No injuries of civilians or firefighters was reported. Two occupants were displaced as a result of the fire and were assisted by Red Cross. The cause was of the fire was determined to be accidental.

05/24/2026

05/22/2026

Friday Fleet Update:

This week members from AFR’s Apparatus Spec Committee and a technician from Fleet Services made the trip to Braun Manufacturing in the Pacific Northwest to perform final inspections on two new rescue units.

During the inspection process, members verify build accuracy, ensure the units meet AFR specifications, and serve as quality control before delivery. Any issues identified can be addressed before the apparatus is delivered helping reduce downtime and speed up the in-service process.

These new rescue units will replace aging apparatus currently in frontline service, with those units transitioning into the reserve fleet to continue supporting operations when needed.

AFR continues to prioritize fleet readiness through replacement schedules, preventive maintenance, repairs, and long-term apparatus planning to ensure crews have reliable equipment to serve the community.