AFR: Cause of massive Mesa del Sol fire still undetermined

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Officials with Albuquerque Fire Rescue say the cause of the massive fire at a plastic storage facility in Mesa del Sol is still undetermined.

Multiple fire departments responded to the fire at Atkore United Poly Systems around 2:30 p.m. on Aug. 6, 2023. It took about five hours for crews to get the fire under control.

Investigators have determined that the fire started at the southwest corner of the facility, near a vehicle in an unauthorized area and a large inventory of plastic products.

AFR interviewed members of the facility’s staff who said they saw the fire and tried to extinguish it, but it was out of their capabilities. Investigators also learned the car was near where employees took smoke breaks. However, there was no evidence that a cigarette was thrown and started the fire.

Investigators determined there is no evidence that the fire was intentionally started, either.

Since there is a lack of physical evidence and video footage, AFR has officially classified the cause of the fire as undetermined.