Southern New Mexico Wildfires: Evacuations Ordered as Uncontrolled Blazes Engulf Thousands of Acres

 

Two catastrophic wildfires that erupted Monday in southern New Mexico raged out of control Tuesday, forcing mass evacuations and testing firefighters' efforts to put out the flames, officials said.

Another larger fire, the South Fork fire, was reported to authorities on Monday morning within the Mescalero Apache tribal area. Fire officials said extreme fire behavior overnight caused it to violently expand. On Tuesday morning, the extent of this blaze had already spread across 13,265 acres of both Forest Service and private lands. As many as 500 structures were affected, housing nearly residents of the village of Ruidoso and outlying areas evacuated.

Around the same time, the Salt fire broke out Monday afternoon entirely on tribal land in steep mountain country. It has spread to almost 5,000 acres by Tuesday. Unpredictable fire erratic behavior prompted officials to order mandatory evacuations in Ruidoso Downs, as it was encroaching on the city.

Neither blaze had been contained as of noon Tuesday. Further hampering firefighting efforts were gusty winds with low humidity. Both fires are still under investigation.

New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham declared a state of emergency for Lincoln County and the Mescalero Apache Reservation as the crisis escalated, opening the door to additional resources to manage the situation.

Several evacuees, along with their livestock, have headed east to Roswell, NM in an attempt to evade the flames. As the fire activity spreads from the region north of Ruidoso toward the village, the NM 244 remains closed as a precautionary measure against road closures. Shelters were opened by the Red Cross from all corners of the state and assisted hundreds of residents displaced by the blaze.

Prolonged drought conditions across the region, extending back more than a decade, are allowing wildfires to reach full potential. New Mexico Fire Information noted that to combat the blaze, what is utmost important is cooperation among federal, tribal, state, and local agencies.

George Ducker of the New Mexico Forestry Division explained this uncontrollable nature of the fire as "long-range spotting" and "intense heat with plume domination."

Climatic conditions are fueling the fire, so mitigation has been called for with much urgency, as drought continues to hit the region. The situation is a bit precarious, even in light of some moisture expected in the forecast.

The collaborative response by firefighting teams has been met with the deployment of bulldozers that create defensive lines ahead of the fire front in an effort to protect structures and keep the flames at bay.

Please be aware that further updates will follow as authorities work relentlessly to contain and manage the wildfires sweeping through Southern New Mexico.