Entire New Mexico village evacuated as two fires converge on it 'like a pair of pliers,' official says

CNN
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Two fast-growing fires are ravaging a southern New Mexico tribal reservation and converging on a village “like a pair of pincers,” prompting thousands of residents to evacuate, officials say.

A wall of smoke filled the sky above the village of Ruidoso Monday evening as a line of cars exited the community. An estimated 5,000 residents were ordered to evacuate the village area because of the approaching South Fork Fire, New Mexico Forestry spokesman George Ducker told CNN.

The South Fork Fire broke out Monday morning on Mescalero Apache tribal lands and had exploded to at least 3,000 acres by nightfall, Ducker said. A second fire, the Salt Fire, is also burning on tribal lands south of Ruidoso and has burned 2,000 acres.

The two fires act like “a pair of pliers, and Ruidoso is in the middle,” Ducker said. Many structures were destroyed, he added, although the extent of the damage was not yet clear.

Evacuation orders are also in effect for parts of the Mescalero Apache Indian Reservation, which is just south of Ruidoso, including the areas of Snow Springs, Fence Canyon, Whitetail, Chihuahua Well, Fantasy Lane, Summit Area and Botella Road, the tribe said. .

New Mexico State Police said first responders are experiencing phone outages in the agency's southern communications center, which could hamper their ability to respond to 911 calls.

Although Ruidoso is home to only about 8,000 permanent residents, it attracts a stream of recreational tourists with its winding trails, expansive parks and wilderness. The village estimates that about 60 percent of its homes are vacation homes.

Rebecca Dennis, who was vacationing in Ruidoso with her family, could smell the smoke Monday morning and proactively packed her bags as the fire appeared to get closer. When the village was ordered to evacuate, the family jumped in the car to return home to Oklahoma.

“I can't imagine the chaos if we hadn't been prepared. I really feel bad for these residents and everyone. But it was horrible to see the fires all around us,” Dennis wrote on Facebook.

Few paths remained out of Ruidoso Monday evening after Highway 48 and Highway 70 were closed in Apache Summit due to the South Fork Fire, the village posted on Facebook: “The only way out The evacuation is on Sudderth to Highway 70 and towards Roswell. »

The city of Roswell – about 70 miles east of Ruidoso – rushed to accommodate evacuees Monday, including freeing up hospital space for patients who are being transferred from Ruidoso Hospital and putting places emergency shelters for people and livestock.

A shelter is open at Eastern New Mexico University and evacuees with RVs or large animals can also park and ride their animals at the Eastern New Mexico State Fairgrounds. Mexico, the city of Roswell announced.

An electric utility, PNM, said it cut power to parts of Ruidoso at the request of first responders. As of Monday evening, nearly 800 homes and businesses were affected, the utility said.

“Public safety is a top priority and we do not take this decision lightly but are doing everything we can to work closely with our first responders who are helping affected communities,” the utility said in a Facebook post.

The explosive growth of wildfires has been fueled by very dry air and high temperatures. The conditions prompted the Storm Prediction Center to issue a high fire danger warning for most of New Mexico, meaning wind and low humidity could lead to increased fire threats.

The wildfires ravaging southern New Mexico are part of a series of fires ravaging the West, including a 15,000-acre fire in Los Angeles County.

As humans continue to contribute to climate change with fossil fuel pollution, scientists warn that destructive and fast-spreading wildfires will only become more frequent, in part because of warmer temperatures and weather conditions. widespread drought.

Parts of Lincoln County, where Ruidoso is located, are experiencing multiple levels of drought ranging from moderate to extreme, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor.

This is a developing story and will be updated.

CNN's Melissa Alonso, Dave Alsup, Amanda Jackson and Robert Shackelford contributed to this report.