Electrical explosion ignites fires, knocks out power across Gallup; separate blaze destroys homes near medical center

Posted by Donovan Quintero | Aug 5, 2025 | News |

GALLUP

A large electrical explosion Tuesday afternoon triggered a fire and widespread power outages across Gallup, straining emergency response crews and leaving multiple communities in the dark.

According to Gallup Police Chief Erin Toadlena-Pablo, the initial incident was reported around 4:03 p.m. and involved an electrical transformer near the McKinley County Community Pantry.

“The call came in, a flash was seen and then a huge fire,” Toadlena-Pablo said. “There was an area that was on fire due to the explosion. And I think a couple of the power lines had caught on fire.”

The explosion, believed to have originated from a transformer, led to immediate power outages across a wide area — including Thoreau, Crownpoint, Jamestown, Yatahey and parts of west Gallup.

“It was a big area that was impacted by this explosion,” Toadlena-Pablo said.

While the city’s electric department was able to restore power to several grids by evening, some areas on the east side of Gallup remained without electricity.

“So looking at maybe a couple to maybe three hours,” Toadlena-Pablo said, regarding full restoration.

She added that power was already back up in central Gallup, the west side, the University of New Mexico campus and some areas in Jamestown.

Toadlena-Pablo said no injuries had been reported as of Tuesday evening, and initial assessments indicated the community pantry had not sustained damage. Multiple agencies responded to the fire, including Gallup Fire Department, McKinley County Volunteer Fire Department, New Mexico State Police, the state Department of Transportation and city street crews.

As emergency responders were still dealing with the transformer fire, a separate and fast-moving structure fire broke out south of the site, near Mariyana Street, next to the Gallup Indian Medical Center. The blaze consumed multiple structures and sent towering plumes of thick black smoke into the sky.

Special to the Times | Donovan Quintero
Flames engulf a structure near Gallup Indian Medical Center in Gallup as thick smoke rises into the sky on Tuesday, Aug. 5. Fire crews responded as the blaze threatened nearby areas.

Chief Toadlena-Pablo, who was still on scene at the transformer fire by the community pantry, said the McKinley County Dispatch Center was receiving multiple calls about the structure fires near GIMC.

“Yes. We do have calls coming on in right now for the area of Mariyana – a structure that is on fire and is spreading to other locations,” Toadlena-Pablo confirmed. “We are going into mutual aid with McKinley County so we can try to get some resources to that one.”

The fire near the medical center appeared to destroy several residential buildings. Multiple fire departments were seen battling the flames with hoses as gusting winds whipped the fire across adjacent structures. The cause of that fire has not been confirmed, and it remains unknown if anyone was inside the homes at the time. No injuries have been reported, but fire officials were still assessing the damage late into the evening.

Toadlena-Pablo also acknowledged another fire was reported north toward Yatahey, New Mexico, although details on that incident were still developing.

As of Tuesday night, the full scope of property damage remained unclear, and emergency crews continued to assess both fire scenes and monitor electrical grids across the city.

This is a developing story. Updates will follow as more information becomes available.