Crews made progress on the Riverside Fire in Española as investigators are still trying to figure out what caused it, as of Sunday evening.
The Riverside Fire is an estimated 44 acres in size and is now 60% contained. There are 38 people working to put out the fire, according to fire managers who reported that containment lines held throughout the day. “Overcast skies and cooler temperatures helped firefighters contain the fire. Fire activity has slowed down and excess fire personnel have been released, reducing the number of firefighters from 100 to 38,” a Sunday evening update stated.
A unified command, consisting of city, county, tribal and federal fire agencies, is managing the fire. While the cause of the fire is still under investigation, the city stated Sunday that they didn’t believe homeless people caused it.
The progress means managers lifted evacuations. That allowed businesses to reopen and people to return to their homes. The fire started Friday on the north side of the Santa Claran Casino on the Santa Clara Pueblo. The cause is still under investigation.
