Residents of an entire town were ordered to flee on Monday evening due to a rapidly spreading wildfire that impacted hundreds of structures, prompting a state of emergency in New Mexico. The South Fork Fire, discovered around 9 a.m. on Monday, quickly grew to thousands of acres during the afternoon as gusty winds reaching 20-30 mph and low humidity fueled the flames. Officials with the New Mexico Forestry Division noted that “fire growth has been rapid with extreme fire behavior.” Approximately 500 structures have been affected by this fire, according to estimates from the authorities.
An estimated 7,000 residents were ordered to evacuate their homes as the fire began encroaching on Ruidoso late Monday evening. Officials urged immediate evacuation of the entire village and surrounding area via social media: “Please do not try to gather belongings or protect your home. GO NOW.” At this time, there have been no reported injuries related to the wildfire.
Emergency officials have established shelters in nearby Roswell and offered state fairgrounds space to house evacuated livestock. As of Tuesday evening, the wildfire has burned through 15,261 acres and remains uncontained. Crews worked together overnight to halt the fire’s spread and provide structural protection where possible. Fire officials reported on Tuesday morning that current fire behavior is creeping, but there are concerns about increased winds pushing the fire further east and northeast.
New Mexico Governor Michelle Luan Grisham declared a state of emergency, allowing additional state resources to assist those fighting and affected by the fire. The cause of the fire remains under investigation at this time.
A second wildfire burning nearby on the Mescalero Reservation, dubbed the Salt Fire, has reached 5,500 acres as of Tuesday evening, also necessitating evacuations in the area. NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center reported that elevated wildfire weather conditions will persist throughout the day on Tuesday across much of central New Mexico, with dry southwesterly flow and humidity readings in the teens.
