Woman saves elderly neighbor, dogs from Desert Willow Complex fire in New Mexico
By Faith Egbuonu, Alyssa Munoz
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LOS LUNAS, New Mexico (KOAT) — The Desert Willow Complex fire, also known as the Cotton 1 and Cotton 2 fires, erupted in Los Lunas, New Mexico, on Saturday, June 21, 2025. As of Monday, June 23, 2025, according to New Mexico Fire officials, nine structures were reported lost to the fire.
Additionally, 36 structures have been affected by smoke impacts or “slurry drops” over the area. On Monday, KOAT spoke with Makayla Drew, who lives in the area. On Saturday, Drew stated that her 3-year-old daughter alerted her to the fire while on their way home.
The Latest: Desert Willow Complex Fire: Homes Destroyed, Evacuations ordered
“I was just driving past, right down the road. My daughter said, ‘Oh, no, there’s smoke.’ I called 911 right away. I pull down Willow Court, which is where the fire started originally behind those houses,” Makayla Drew told KOAT.
“I got out of my car with my daughter, and then I knocked on her — or I rang her doorbell and told her there was a fire, because she had no idea there was a fire. It was an elderly woman. In my mind, I’m thinking, ‘I have to knock on the door to save that woman.’ It was scary. They had no idea there was a fire behind their house, so I was like, ‘I have to let these people know that there’s fire because they have no idea,’ Drew said.
Related: Los Lunas evacuees share experiences from disastrous wildfires
“I told her, ‘There’s a fire right behind your house.’ Then, everyone started running out of their houses with their hoses. That’s when it really took off. I knocked on her door, let her know. Then of course, other neighbors smelled smoke. So, they started opening their doors. Honestly, none of them had no idea until I knocked on her door, let her know. And then everyone started evacuating,” Drew said.
“My mom and my sisters were rescuing dogs because people were evacuating, so they were rescuing. We saved four dogs in total. So, they were saving all the animals from the houses that were burning on or getting ready to burn,” Drew told KOAT.
Structures impact
9 structures reportedly lost
5 major or minor damage
36 structures affected by smoke and/or “slurry drops”
Evacuations and closures
Valencia County Emergency Management confirmed all road closures and evacuations have been lifted. Below are previous details on those evacuations. View attached map here.
Evacuation Shelter: Daniel Fernandez Recreation Center
Address: 1103 NM-314, Los Lunas, NM 87031
Contact #: 505-352-7661
Acres destroyed
Cotton 1: 95 acres
Cotton 2: 142 acres
Total: 237 per aerial mapping and ground truthing
Containment:
Cotton 1: 40%
Cotton 2: 25%
According to Valencia County Fire Chief Matt Propp, the cause of fire is human causes and currently still under investigation.
“It’s the fact that someone would even think about doing this, and it caused all this damage. It’s just very upsetting. I really hope they catch whoever’s doing all this, because it’s caused a lot of devastation for these families and everyone else,” Drew said.
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