Firefighters respond to late‑night pallet fire in Magdalena; volunteer threatened

A late‑night pallet fire that appeared dangerously close to a trailer home prompted a response from Magdalena volunteer firefighters on Jan. 12, during which one firefighter was threatened by a man at the scene, according to Magdalena Fire Chief Charles Blaylock.

Fire crews were dispatched at 11:07 p.m. to Ash Street, where a large pile of burning pallets and trash created the appearance that a nearby trailer was on fire.

“Our first volunteer approached pulling a hose, and some guy yelled at him that if he came any closer he was going to ‘F him up,’” Blaylock said. 

The firefighter backed away and did not engage, he added.

A woman who lives in the trailer next to the fire yelled that she had called law enforcement, prompting the man to grab his belongings and run from the scene, Blaylock said. Fire personnel did not identify him, though the woman provided a first name.

Blaylock said firefighters did not see a weapon, and the threat appeared to be limited to a challenge to fight.

The fire itself was contained quickly and lasted no more than 45 minutes, Blaylock said.

 “It was fairly easy because it hadn’t spread to anything else yet. If it had caught the trailer, it could have been bad,” he said.

A New Mexico State Police trooper and a Socorro County Sheriff’s deputy arrived while firefighters were working the scene, Blaylock said. The Magdalena Marshal’s Office told reporters they were not aware of the incident.

The fire was limited to the trash and pallet pile, and no injuries were reported.