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Unknown substance exposure
Three people died and more than a dozen first responders were quarantined and assessed after being exposed to an unidentified substance during a suspected drug overdose response at a rural New Mexico home in Mountainair, east of Albuquerque, on Wednesday.
“Three people are dead and more than a dozen first responders had to be quarantined and assessed Wednesday”
New Mexico State Police said four people were initially found unresponsive inside the Mountainair home, with three deaths and the fourth being treated at an Albuquerque hospital.
During the response, first responders began experiencing symptoms including nausea and dizziness, and Antonette Alguire, a volunteer firefighter, watched EMTs and firefighters start coughing, vomiting and becoming dizzy at the heliport.
Investigators said they were working to identify the substance, while New Mexico State Police said there was no threat to the public and that investigators do not believe the substance was airborne.
Quarantine, decontamination, and quotes
University of New Mexico Hospital confirmed that 23 patients exposed to an unknown substance were assessed and decontaminated after being transported to the hospital, with most later discharged after showing no symptoms.
Officer Wilson Silver said, "At this time, investigators believe the substance may be transmitted through contact and do not believe it to be airborne," as state police continued to evaluate what caused symptoms among responders.
Mountainair Mayor Peter Nieto said he saw drugs at the scene and pointed to that as a possible factor in the deaths, while also saying the health issues people experienced were not related to carbon monoxide or natural gas exposure.
Alguire, who helped perform CPR on a woman outside the home, described the experience as scary and said, "It’s getting to that point where we just have to live in fear, even saving lives."
Investigation stakes and context
Officials reported that the incident involved a suspected overdose situation at a residence on Hanlon Avenue in Mountainair, with New Mexico State Police taking over the investigation from local law enforcement.
“New Mexico had the fourth-highest rate of drug overdose deaths of any U.S. state in 2024, with 775 deaths”
WRAL reported that investigators were trying to identify the mysterious substance that may have contributed to the deaths and led to more than a dozen first responders being briefly quarantined, while autopsies were to be conducted and authorities said they were testing to determine what substances were in the home.
The investigation unfolded as New Mexico State Police said they set up a secure perimeter around the affected home and said they did not believe the substance was airborne, even as responders were decontaminated and monitored at University of New Mexico Hospital.
The broader public-health backdrop included New Mexico having the fourth-highest rate of drug overdose deaths of any U.S. state in 2024, with 775 deaths, according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data cited by WRAL.
