Swift Response by AFR Crews Prevents Gas Station Fire Disaster
Posted By: ABQ RAW Staff
Posted On: 11/02/2023 @ 1:40 PM
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At around 4:30 AM on November 2, 2023, the Albuquerque Fire and Rescue (AFR) sprung into action to address a significant fire that posed a threat to the Valero gas station situated at 6920 Menaul Blvd NE. Engine 13 (E13) was the first to arrive at the scene and was met with a concerning sight – a sizable fire blazing perilously close to the gas station's entrance.
According to AFR, the responding AFR crews wasted no time in taking control of the situation, preventing the fire from spreading further into the building, endangering the store's contents or the fuel pumps. Nine units from AFR were dispatched to tackle this fire.
Thankfully, there were no reported injuries stemming from this incident. However, the exact cause of the fire still remains a mystery, and further investigation is required to uncover the truth.
We went to the Valero, and while waiting at the traffic light at Louisiana and Menaul, we could smell the lingering smoke in the air. While on the scene, we observed heavy fire damage to the south side of the building. The door to the south entrance of the gas station's store was completely off its hinges and resting against the brick facade, and the door had been replaced with plywood. We also noticed standing water in numerous places around the gas station. We saw three cars on the premises, and at the time that we were there, one person appeared to be cleaning up. The gas station's north store entrance had its door open, possibly to allow the store to air out some of the smoky smell and also to facilitate the individual in cleaning up the store.
At the time of this posting, no additional information has been provided.
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This is the fourth fire that has affected or posed a threat to a structure or commercial building since October 31st. On October 31st, AFR responded to a fire at 2400 Central Ave SE, the outdoor fire was located behind the Frontier restaurant. AFR was able to extinguish the flames and prevent them from spreading to adjacent buildings. On November 1st, AFR was called to Sais Food Market at 535 Louisiana Blvd SE around 2:15 AM, where they found the front of the building ablaze. The damage to the Sais Food Market was so severe that it is considered a total loss. Also on November 1st, AFR was dispatched to a fire at the Green Tea Inn and Suites, located at 2120 Menaul Blvd NE, around 4:00 AM. When AFR arrived on the scene, they found a fire in progress on the second floor of the building. As per AFR's report, the majority of the damage was confined to the apartment where the fire originated, while some neighboring apartments suffered from smoke damage.
