Tejal Somvanshi
According to the governor’s office, at least one person has died due to a wildfire in New Mexico, which has forced the evacuation of thousands of residents. Gov. Lujan Grisham said “The horrific South Fork Fire and Salt Fire have ravaged our lands and property, and forced thousands to flee their homes.”
The governor declared a state of emergency extending throughout the county and into neighboring tribal lands, and ordered the deployment of National Guard troops after residents complied with evacuation orders on Monday with little time to rescue their belongings. “We are deploying every available resource to control these wildfires, and to provide support to the Village of Ruidoso, the Mescalero Reservation and surround areas,” the governor previously stated at a press conference. She added that the magnitude of the fires is beyond local control and requires immediate state intervention to protect public health, safety, and welfare.
More than 500 structures have been damaged and all 7,000 residents of Ruidoso have been evacuated, the governor said. It’s unclear how many homes were consumed by the flames as extreme fire activity continues to prevent authorities from safely accessing the area to assess damage. “It’s too dangerous,” she said.
State ranger Laura McCarthy described the fires as “dangerous and fast-moving” with strong winds reaching 20 mph (32 km/h). She added that the fire exhibits “extreme behavior.” McCarthy explained that a cold front is approaching the area, which will bring rain on Wednesday or Thursday. However, she noted it was “good and bad news at the same time,” because while rain would be welcome, the strong winds would not.
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The governor said her emergency declaration unlocks additional funds and resources to manage the crisis in Lincoln County and the Mescalero Apache Reservation. She added that nearly 20,000 acres have been consumed, an area exceeding 31 square miles (80 square kilometers).
