Fire strikes El Rancho
Blaze on roof causes evacuation

Gallup firefighters make their way up Ladder Truck 1 and onto the roof of the El Rancho Motel as flames slowly grow in size late Tuesday night. Capt. Greene with the Gallup Fire Dept. said that the fire appeared to be caused by an electrical line that runs across the roof to power the pink neon lights. The fire was quickly put out with no damage to any rooms and minimal damage to the roof of the El Rancho. [Photo by Matt Hinshaw/Independent]

By Leslie Wood
Staff Writer

GALLUP — A small portion of the El Rancho Motel's roof caught fire late Tuesday night and caused a temporary evacuation of one of Gallup's most historic landmarks.

The fire was reported minutes after 10 p.m. and Gallup firefighters rushed to the scene to find the northern-eastern corner of the motel's roof in flames.

Capt. Johnny Green of the Gallup Fire Department said the blaze was quickly extinguished and contained to a small area of the roof. The motel sustained little damage and no injuries were reported.

Green said a cable from the motel's prominent neon light caused the fire. One of the sign's wires, which runs across the top of the roof, ignited the shingles. The sign was later shut off by emergency responders. The area's recent rain may have prevented the fire from spreading throughout the entire roof.

"The shingles were moist," Green said. "... Basically, something prevented the fire from really spreading."

He said the roof may have been treated with a fire resistant formula.

However, firefighters did punch a few holes in the motel's roof to ensure the fire had not spread into the structure's interior.

The El Rancho Motel's management opted to temporarily evacuate the motel portion of the business as a safety precaution. Gallup police officers also blocked the motel's entrances while the fire was being contained. Guests were escorted into the larger hotel area until the scene was cleared by emergency personnel.

"Everybody did what they were supposed to do," Green said of the operation.