Officials Detail Losses From May Fentanyl Incident, Rescheduled Jubilee, Animal Shelter Clinics

The lingering operational and financial consequences of the May 20 fentanyl exposure at 306 North Hanlon Avenue — an incident that killed three people and sickened 25, including four Mountainair EMS personnel — dominated the department heads' reports at the June 2, 2026 regular meeting of the Mountainair Town Council.

EMS Chief Josh Lewis told the council that the incident cost the town between $8,000 and $10,000 in destroyed medical supplies and personal property, that the town's ambulance was taken out of service for nearly five days for decontamination, and that the town will be filing insurance claims to recover what it can. A similar incident in Silver City, in which one person died, and 10 first responders were incapacitated, prompted Town Clerk Mary Melton (AKA Mary Martinez) to warn that such incidents appear to be "becoming more targeted."

EMS Chief Details Financial Fallout From May 20 Incident

Lewis reported that Mountainair EMS responded to 32 calls for service in May 2026 and handled 31. The one missed call came less than 12 hours after the May 20 incident, when the ambulance was still quarantined and unavailable for deployment.

"The ambulance couldn't be released," Lewis said. "It took four [or] five days to get [it] released from UNM."

Lewis said that obtaining guidance from state and federal agencies on decontamination procedures was difficult in the immediate aftermath.

"DHS was supposed to send somebody to decon the ambulance," he said. "We were getting no direction and no help from the DEA, DHS, or UNM. So Chief Archuleta and I, we just went to Walmart — we looked like we were starting a meth lab — and we deconned ourselves there at UNM Hospital."

Lewis estimated the town lost between $5,000 and $7,000 in medical supplies that Mountainair EMS was required by law to discard following the exposure, plus approximately $3,000 in personal property belonging to the four Mountainair personnel who were hospitalized. He said he has filed insurance claims through the Volunteer Fire Association and the State of New Mexico self-insurance fund. He said he intends to present a formal purchase order request to the council in the coming weeks to replenish the discarded supplies.

Mayor Nieto publicly thanked the employees who responded to the scene, specifically naming Public Works employees TJ Lopez, Daniel Archuleta, and Carl Archuleta for their work testing the gas system on the morning of the incident.

Lewis also noted that a similar exposure incident occurred in Silver City the day before the June 2 meeting, in which 10 first responders were incapacitated and one person was killed.

"It seems like it is becoming more targeted," Town Clerk Martinez said.

"We need to make a safety protocol," Lewis said.

For context on the May 20 incident, including a full timeline, the substances identified at the scene, the agencies involved, and the names of two of the three victims, see the Dispatch's prior coverage of the event and the May 22 press conference.

Fire Chief: 12 Calls in May, Second Apparatus Expected Soon

Fire Chief Joshua Archuleta reported 12 calls for service in May, including three brush fires, four assists, one gas leak, and one additional call. He said a second fire apparatus — a wildfire response vehicle known as “Brush Two" — is expected to be operational within two weeks.

Mayor Announces Jubilee Rescheduling, Trash Enforcement Transparency Page

Mayor Nieto told the council that the annual Mountainair Jubilee celebration has been moved to approximately three weeks after the Fourth of July (July 24-25, 2026) citing the town's desire to mount a stronger event to mark the 250th anniversary of the United States.

"I wanted it to be an amazing show," Nieto said, "and so we did make the hard decision to move it."

Nieto acknowledged that the rescheduled date conflicts with Estancia's Old Timers Day on Saturday, July 25, 2026, and apologized for not coordinating with organizers in advance. He said the town will not move the date again.

"They're just going to have to choose between us or them," Nieto said. "Unfortunately, if we would have postponed it even later, we would have been seeing our event [in] August."

Nieto also announced plans for a new page on the town's website dedicated to property maintenance and enforcement of the trash ordinance. The page would display the addresses of properties that have received compliance letters and link to folders containing photographs of the violations, the letters sent, and the dates of correspondence — without publishing the names of property owners. Residents would also be able to submit reports of problem properties through the page.

"Right now, people are just not seeing it, and I think that is one of the big complaints we are getting," Nieto said.

The announcement came partly in response to public criticism following the May 20 incident. Nieto noted that the residence at 306 North Hanlon Avenue had not previously been reported to the town.

"How did no one complain about that house? We were so focused on a lot of other houses," Nieto said.

The mayor said he hoped to have the page ready for council review at the June 15, 2026 meeting before releasing it to the public.

Town Clerk: Budget, Grant, and YCC Updates

Town Clerk Melton reported that the town's interim budget has been submitted and is under review by state analysts. Work on a library grant application is nearly complete. A police department grant application required revision after the submitted quote referenced "living room size" — language reviewers interpreted it as referring to a residential upgrade rather than a departmental need; Martinez said she believes the issue has been corrected.

Martinez also reported that the town's Youth Conservation Corps (YCC) started the previous Monday and is already working at the town cemetery. Additional projects will include work at the municipal airport and assistance with Jubilee preparations.

FOMAS Reports Passed Inspection, Announces June Clinics

Martha Hallman presented on behalf of the Friends of Mountainair Animal Shelter (FOMAS).

Hallman said the shelter recently passed its annual inspection by the New Mexico Board of Veterinary Medicine following two days of intensive preparation.

"We passed with flying colors," Hallman said.

Hallman confirmed that five dogs from the May 20 incident at 306 North Hanlon Avenue were among the shelter's recent intakes. The animals were held under a no-contact quarantine and have since been rehomed.

Through the end of May 2026, the shelter has taken in 70 dogs — an average of 14 per month — resulting in 24 adoptions, 22 transfers to other facilities, and nine returns to owners.

FOMAS announced upcoming community events, all at the Dr. Saul Community Center, 109 North Roosevelt Ave., Mountainair:

• Friday, June 26: Free vaccination clinic
• Saturday-Sunday, June 27-28: Two-day spay and neuter event; $75 per animal; 80 animals registered, 120 slots available

The organization's "Spay It Forward" program allows community members to sponsor procedures for residents who cannot afford the fee; additional financial assistance is available on a case-by-case basis. Residents can contact FOMAS for more information or to register.

FOMAS has submitted a $35,000 grant application to the New Mexico State Veterinary Board to continue its spay-and-neuter program, with the expectation of receiving approximately 80 percent of the requested amount. The organization's previous application received high marks but was not funded.

The shelter completed a rattlesnake aversion training session in May, with 42 dogs graduating. Its Bark in the Park program, conducted in partnership with the National Park Service, continues on the first Saturday of each month at the Quarai Unit of the Salinas Pueblo Missions National Monument.

Hallman recognized the shelter's volunteer corps of 45 to 50 people, estimating their annual contribution at approximately 5,000 labor hours — a labor value of roughly $60,000.

Council Moves Second June Meeting to June 15

On a motion by Councilor Padilla, seconded by Councilor Torres, the council unanimously approved moving the second regular June meeting from Tuesday, June 16, to Monday, June 15, 2026, at 6:00 PM. Nieto said the change was made to avoid a conflict with a scheduled firefighter event.

Town Clerk Melton said the required 10-day public notice will be posted. The meeting location remains the Council Meeting Room, 107 1/2 North Roosevelt Ave.

Routine Business

Mayor Nieto noted that a previously anticipated discussion of a proposed trash collection contract was removed from the agenda because supporting documentation the town had requested had not yet been received. He said the item will appear on a future agenda once that information is in hand.

The Mountainair Dispatch is an independent, reader-supported watchdog news outlet covering Torrance County, New Mexico.
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