15-07-2025
Rancher loses cattle to Laguna Fire in the Santa Fe National Forest
RIO ARRIBA COUNTY, N.M. (KRQE) – The Laguna Fire burning in Rio Arriba County has prompted evacuations for some and caused devastation for others. The Vigil Ranch said their entire herd has been affected by the fire. The ranch has been in their family for generations, now they don't know if they will ever recover.
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'Everyone in this family have worked blood, sweat, and tears to keep it going through drought, through devastation, and this is a very hard time for us to see everything that we have worked for to literally go up in flames,' said Vigil Ranch Heir Veronica Vigil.
The Vigil Ranch said they were grazing their more than 100 cattle this summer in the Santa Fe National Forest near Gallina, near Leandro Springs. However, over the weekend, the family learned the lightning-caused Laguna Fire took the lives of eight cows.
The ranch said 120 cattle are still missing, and 30 others sustained burns on their hooves and udders.
A few days ago, fire crews had the blaze 87% contained, but high winds blew the fire out of control. Now the fire is at over 15,000 acres with 45% containment.
'We had the unfortunate spot fire and some really high winds from a dry thunderstorm that didn't provide any rain, and that's where it got out of our planned containment lines for the wildfire,' said Terrance Gallegos, Forest Fire Management Officer for the Santa Fe National Forest.
Residents at Gallinas Ranch are in 'Go' status, meaning evacuations are in place. The Monastery of Christ in the Desert, located in Abiquiu, is in 'Set' status.
The Forest Service said no homes have been impacted, and they're hopeful rains later in the week will help them get a handle on the fire.
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