SOUTHERN NEW MEXICO – Steady rain fell in Ruidoso on Friday, a welcome relief to hot, dry weather that helped to fuel two forest fires that have burned parts of the mountaintop village and neighboring Mescalero Apache Reservation. Rain started about 10 a.m. and continued steadily for several hours, said Kerry Gladden, spokesperson for the […]
The two fires burning in Lincoln and Otero counties and on Mescalero Apache Tribal lands had burned an estimated 23,406 acres, according to the New Mexico wildfire dashboard June 22. Among the damage created by the fire was the loss of over 1,400 structures in the region. The largest toll was the death of two […]
Jun. 21—President Joe Biden has approved a major disaster declaration, unlocking federal assistance for New Mexicans responding to devastating wildfires this week in Ruidoso. Also Friday, fire management officials reported “minimal fire behavior” at the South Fork and Salt fires due to heavy rain and hail on Wednesday and “persistent high humidity into Thursday.” The […]
For nine years, two Fort Worth musicians lived as neighbors and old friends in God’s country amid a thick pine forest in the mountain resort town of Ruidoso, New Mexico. Then the fires came. On Monday, they lost their homes, their life possessions and their love for mountain life. By late in the week, guitarist […]
SAN ANGELO, Texas (Concho Valley Homepage) —Ruidoso’s Assistant Fire Chief Ross Coleman, a former San Angelo fire marshal, has been at the forefront of the efforts with minimal rest. “The north side of the town looks like a different place. The trees are gone, and landmark hotels have been lost. It’s very depressing and has […]
RUIDOSO, N.M. (KRQE) – Ruidoso Mayor Lynn Crawford spoke Thursday about how the next few days could be catastrophic in terms of flooding in the area. “Yesterday’s event was very small, the one coming up is expected to be catastrophic… we hope that’s not the case,” said Mayor Crawford. Wildfire Resources He added, “Please trust us, […]
Jun. 20—Don Spencer was at home in Ruidoso Monday afternoon talking with his daughter Tammy Claunch on FaceTime when he she saw smoke outside his window. “I said, ‘Wow, that looks really close,’” Claunch told the Journal during a phone interview. “He said, ‘Yeah, (but) it looks like it is going the other way.’” Claunch […]
ROSWELL, N.M. (KRQE) – Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham held a news conference Wednesday night outlining the current conditions facing fire crews battling fires near Ruidoso. The South Fork Fire has burned 16,335 acres and destroyed more than 1,400 structures making it one of the most devastating fires in New Mexico history. There have also been […]
RUIDOSO, N.M. (KRQE) – As fire crews continue to fight the flames, others are working to provide for the Ruidoso community now and are planning how they can help when the fire is out. Wildfire Resources The Red Cross is managing the humanitarian effort caring for those who been displaced. They aren’t just looking at what they […]
A flash flood swept through River Ranch RV Park in Ruidoso Downs on Wednesday. (Photos by Chancey Bush / Albuquerque Journal) PHOTO CANNOT BE REPUBLISHED First hit by fire, and now water. Facing threats from the South Fork and Salt fires, Ruidoso was inundated Wednesday as a fierce storm dropped an estimated 2 to 4 […]
Jun. 19—Authorities found unidentified charred remains within a burned car Tuesday in an area where the South Fork and Salt fires are raging. The death is the second linked to the wildfires that have destroyed 1,400 homes and other structures and forced thousands of people to evacuate the village of Ruidoso and surrounding communities. The […]
Jun. 19—ROSWELL — There are several places across New Mexico that are offering their resources to help displaced families from the South Fork and Salt fires. One of those venues is the Encanto Event Center in Roswell. The facility was preparing to host an event Tuesday night when the fires broke out in and around […]