La Mesa Fire Medical Emergency Fatality 1977

Bandelier National Monument trail maintenance employee Juan "Johnny" Aldaz perished from a heart attack on the La Mesa Fire in the Ponderosa Campground area. The La Mesa Fire had started west of the park on June 16, croseed through the park, and continued onto the lands of Los Alamos National Laboratory. According to the National Park Service, Aldaz collapsed after running to the NPS engine during an evacuation triggered by a sudden increase in fire behavior during a firing operation on Highway 4. Aldaz was taken by a coworker to the park entrance to meet an ambulance, but perished there.