Firefighters quickly doused a fire that broke out in brush near the west end of the stables on North Mesa. Photo by Greg Kendall/ladailypost.com

Los Alamos County Police and Firefighters examine the site of a small brush fire near the County stables on North Mesa. Foam was used to quickly douse the fire. Photo by Greg Kendall/ladailypost.com

By Greg Kendall

At 12:40 p.m. today, smoke was reported east of the Posse Lodge on North Mesa. Firefighters were on the scene a short time later and found a small fire burning in brush near the western edge of the North Mesa Stables.

“We didn’t see anyone here when we arrived. I found an empty pack of cigarettes in the area of the fire, but after we spray an area down to put out the fire it’s difficult to know what really started it,” LAFD Bat. Chief Steven Dawald told the Los Alamos Daily Post,  

Dawald added that there have been a couple of small fires in Los Alamos recently that have reportedly been started by juveniles. 

“We are just lucky that we’ve had a lot of moisture recently,” he said. 

Dawald described the scene when he arrived. “The fire was burning in a 30-foot circular area and had started to climb up a tree.” 

Firefighters were able to quickly extinguish the flames, he said. No property or structures were in danger from the small fire.

Investigators are combing the area looking for clues as to what stated the small blaze.