Unified Fire up to 500 acres in the bosque south of Belen — Daniel Montaño
The Unified Fire burning in the bosque just south of Belen and the Rio Communities in Valencia County was about 500 acres in size, and burning on both sides of Rio Grande as of 9:15pm Tuesday night.
The Valencia County Fire Department announced there were no structures damaged, though some structures are under threat, and Albuquerque Fire Rescue confirmed no injuries had been reported.
Evacuations are in place for residents of Lagrima Road, Rio Grande Stables Road and Madrone Flyway. State Highway 304 is closed at Sonnenburg Loop and Baca Road.
Shelters are available in both the Rio Communities and Belen.
The New Mexico State Forestry Division will take over command of the fire when resources arrive.
22 different state agencies and utilities are involved in the containment effort.
KUNM will update this story as it develops. Support for this coverage comes from the W.K. Kellogg foundation.
BCSO: Deputy to be fired in alleged excessive force incident — Matthew Reisen, Albuquerque Journal
The Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office has decided to fire a deputy who is being investigated for allegedly using excessive force against a juvenile late last year.
BCSO spokesperson Jayme Gonzales said deputy Bryan Lassley will be term
inated following an investigation into a Dec. 3, 2025, incident that occurred outside the Bernalillo County Juvenile Detention and Youth Service Center.
Gonzales declined to detail the incident but said New Mexico State Police investigated the allegations and the case had been forwarded to the 2nd Judicial District Attorney’s Office for review and possible criminal charges.
“What is alleged in this case is unacceptable. Deputies are entrusted with tremendous authority, and that authority comes with a nonnegotiable expectation of self-control, professionalism, and respect for the people we serve,” Sheriff John Allen said in a statement Tuesday. “When someone wearing this badge loses control and violates that trust, it damages our community and it dishonors every deputy who does the job the right way. I have zero tolerance for this kind of behavior. If you cannot keep your composure and do the right thing when a situation is stressful, you do not belong in law enforcement.”
Gonzales said Lassley was placed on leave Dec. 10 after Allen learned of the allegations. She said BCSO had opened an Internal Affairs investigation into the incident but it “was paused once it became clear the incident required an outside criminal investigation.”
“Now that the external investigation has been completed and submitted to the District Attorney’s Office, Sheriff Allen is moving forward with termination action,” Gonzales said.
It is not the first time Lassley, who joined BCSO in 2020, has come under scrutiny.
In 2024, Lassley crashed into a car after an attempted traffic stop in the North Valley. An investigation found Lassley was driving 45 mph over the speed limit before rear-ending Alexandria Girard, 43.
Girard was fatally injured when she crashed into a brick wall after being struck by Lassley's SUV. Data from the deputy's SUV showed he slowed down and then sped up just before impact.
No charges were filed against Lassley in the crash.