Blue 2 Fire gets too close for comfort in a remote neighborhood

NEW MEXICO (KRQE) – As the Blue 2 Fire expands to nearly 7,000 acres, more neighborhoods are preparing to evacuate. “It's been frustrating, you know, I keep going to all the websites and looking for information,” said Brenda Restivo, president of the Ranches of Sonterra Real Estate Association.

As the Blue 2 Fire continues to spread outside Ruidoso, all Brenda Restivo can do is watch from her patio and hope it doesn't get any closer. “It's pretty concerning, I have a daughter on each rib and you know, and they're constantly checking on me to see what's going on,” Restivo said.

Restivo lives about 12 miles north of Ruidoso, on the Sonterra Ranches in Alto. “It’s mostly part-time people, but we have maybe 180 full-time residents living here,” Restivo said.

The remote neighborhood has a volunteer board of directors, like an HOA, responsible for the safety of the community. For now, Restivo says it's up to her to keep everyone informed about the fire. “Our neighbors are not our neighbors, they're three or four acres away, so it's not that we can just go knock on the door and say hello,” Restivo said.

Restivo says the south end of the property is about two miles from the fire. “Once the night comes and you start seeing flames, the intensity of the calls, the problems come back more,” Restivo said.

Right now their area is ready, so Restivo is packed and ready to go if needed.

“The ridge that I'm looking at now, if it goes over that ridge, I think we'll be immediately moved to the plateau because it's going to come down from that mountain. There’s no other ridge between us and this,” Restivo said.

She hopes it doesn't come to that. “I hope we don't see this again because Little Bear, we were evacuated here for six days and we had no idea, I mean, the fire started within 150 feet of my house , so it was scary,” Restivo said.

Restivo says she sends emails to all residents to keep them informed. Right now, a mountain ridge and Highway 48 are all that separate his neighborhood from the fire.