Albuquerque Fire Rescue

Multifamily Dwelling Fire:

On July 23rd, 2026 at 10:52am, AFR was dispatched to the Sun Plaza apartments at 4400 Montgomery NE for reports of residents smelling smoke. Rescue 19 arrived on scene, took command and began to investigate the source of the smoke. Ladder 13 went to the roof and reported smoke coming from multiple roof vents. Engine 13, Engine 19 and Rescue 19 made entry into multiple apartments to locate the source. Crews found a smoldering fire in the void space above a second floor apartment. The small fire was quickly extinguished and contained to the attic space of the involved unit.

No injuries were reported. The cause of the fire appears to be electrical. Any displaced residents will be relocated by management until power can be restored to the building.

Albuquerque Fire Rescue is proud to announce the arrival of the department’s first water tender.

This apparatus is built on a Freightliner chassis, powered by a Detroit DD13 engine, carries 3,000 gallons of water, 30 gallons of foam, and is equipped with a 500 gallon-per-minute water pump. It will be utilized for local wildland response, deployments, and commercial vehicle fires along I-40 and I-25 where a fixed water supply is not available.

The new apparatus ensures AFR has water delivery capability in-house, improving response times and operational independence. The tender will significantly enhance AFR’s mobile water supply capacity for incidents across the city. With the dry Rio Grande, it also provides a critical water supply option for Bosque fires and other off-grid incidents.

This apparatus was purchased at a cost of $585,000, with funding secured through Capital Outlay for Station 4 equipment and the support of District 1 City Councilor Stephanie Telles, District 2 City Councilor Joaquin Baca, District 3 City Councilor Klarissa Peña, and District 8 City Councilor Dan Champine. This truck is designated T-4 and will be housed at Station 4 near the Big-I for city-wide access.

Equipment will be mounted to the truck and driver training will be conducted to ensure safe operations before being placed into service in the coming weeks.

AFR continues to invest in the equipment and resources needed to meet the evolving demands of the Albuquerque community and emergency response.

At 1042 on 7/18/2026, AFR received reports of a fire at 1117 Louisiana Blvd SE. E5 was in the area and requested to be added to the event. E5 arrived on scene within 4 minutes and reported smoke showing from the backside of a single story 4 plex. E5 deployed a 1 3/4” handline for fire control. R11 arrived on scene and performed a primary search which was negative. L5 arrived on scene, went to the roof and performed vertical ventilation. The fire was brought under control within 10 minutes of arrival. 1 dog, 1 cat, and a toad were rescued from the apartment. 6 residents are displaced. The Red Cross is assisting 3 of the residents and 3 are staying with family. A total of 17 apparatus and 43 Firefighters responded. No injuries to residents or firefighters were reported.