Fire destroys house in Peñasco; origin under investigation

PEÑASCO — A Peñasco house and former gas station burned down last week, leaving at least three residents without a home.

The former Lujan’s Gas Station at the intersection of N.M. 73 and N.M. 75 was previously owned by Adelaido and Mary Lujan and later became a permanent residence for several relatives who were living in the building at the time of the fire.

None of the residents was injured in the fire.

New Mexico State Police officers responded to the report of the fire April 12 just after midnight, according to a statement from the department. “Upon the arrival of officers, they received information that there was still someone inside the residence. The New Mexico State Police Investigations Bureau was called to investigate. During the investigation, there was nobody located inside the burned structure,” said Officer Dusty Francisco, a spokesman for the agency.

Along with the state police, the Taos County Sheriff’s Office, Peñasco Fire and Rescue, Dixon Volunteer Fire Department, Questa Fire Department, Taos County Fire and EMS and an investigator from the New Mexico State Fire Marshal’s Office all responded to the scene of the incident, which blocked traffic for several hours.

The cause of the blaze is still being investigated by the Fire Marshal’s Office.

Residents of the building say on a GoFundMe page they fell victim to arson. “Two strangers broke into our office while we slept and started a fire that resulted in my family losing absolutely everything,” Alicia Vivianna wrote in a post.

The family is hoping to raise $50,000.

To donate to the family, visit gofund.me/4e5ddabe.

This story first appeared in The Taos News, a sister publication of The Santa Fe New Mexican.