Ruidoso fires returning evacuees Monday as order lifted

Ruidoso officials announced Saturday that full-time residents could return to the community Monday morning after being evacuated last week due to two aggressive fires.

The village of Ruidoso announced that full-time residents – not tourists or second home owners – will be allowed to return starting at 8 a.m. They say proof of residency will be required.

Village officials advised residents to bring a week's worth of food and drinking water because grocery stores are not fully operational. And they warned that residents could experience power, gas and water outages due to utility disruptions resulting from the fires.

Over the past week, residents have also reported spotty or no internet and phone service. A boil water advisory is also in effect.

'I'm going to be so happy'

Lauren McCullough, her fiancé and children were among thousands of people who were evacuated Monday when authorities announced a mandatory order as the South Fork and Salt fires quickly approached the community. His house is near Alto, just north of Ruidoso. Since then, the family has been staying in a hotel in Albuquerque.

She expressed relief at being allowed to return. Several Albuquerque restaurants and individuals offered support in the form of gift cards for groceries and free meals, which helped. But this unexpected trip out of town took a toll on his finances. Another evacuated family is staying in the same hotel.

“Our money is dwindling – we have to feed our families and keep the hotel going,” she said. “I’m going to be so happy to go home and sleep in our own beds.”

McCullough has several pets in tow; unfortunately, the family's pet snake died suddenly, perhaps from the stress of the rapid evacuation. Still, she said, “we held on.”

An estimated 1,400 structures – a mix of homes, businesses and outbuildings – were damaged or destroyed in the fires. At least two people died. Authorities are searching for more possible victims.

McCullough knows his house is still standing because there is a man in Ruidoso who walks the evacuated areas, posting videos on neighborhood social media, letting people know which houses burned and feeding the animals left behind. She saw her house in one of the videos. But the fire broke out less than three kilometers from the scene.

Confinement increases

Cooler, wetter weather arriving in the region from the Gulf of Mexico was a turning point for crews battling the fires. It was hoped that this would slow the spread of fires.

Saturday morning, firefighters released the latest numbers, saying the South Fork Fire, burning west and north of Ruidoso, has consumed 16,600 acres (a growth of about 200 acres since Thursday). It was contained at 26%, compared to 0% previously.

The Salt Fire to the south, meanwhile, had burned just over 7,650 acres (tied with the last official estimate) and was 7% contained, up from 0% on Thursday.

The two fires broke out on Monday June 17. Authorities say the causes are still under investigation. Areas also burned on the Mescalero Apache Reservation, just west of Ruidoso.

Although rains and higher relative humidity have improved the situation for fire crews, the Southwest Zone No. 5 Incident Management Team, responsible for fire response, “this incident is not finished,” said a press release from the group on Saturday.

“Down power lines, damaged water, sewer and gas lines, localized flooding, fire-weakened trees and other environmental hazards continue to pose risks to firefighters and the public,” a declared the group. “Extra precautions should be taken along the roads as emergency and fire vehicles, engines and equipment continue to travel and work along the roads. »

Officials said smoke and damage to structures is another risk of returning to evacuated areas.

Return home

McCullough said her worry about returning home is that she left behind about $600 worth of groceries, many of which were likely spoiled. Her fiancé turned off the circuit breaker as a precaution in case the fire reached their house. She'll probably boil water too, even if she has several five-gallon jugs of drinking water at home. She said she would consider purchasing Starlink internet because the local internet provider had outages related to the fire and she needs connectivity for her work. Starlink, an Elon Musk company, is satellite internet that is an option for rural and remote areas.

McCullough said she contacted her homeowner's insurance company and discovered that some of the costs she incurred due to the evacuation and fire might be reimbursable.

Despite what the village has been through, she hopes residents will come together to participate in recovery efforts.

“It’s a resilient city,” she said. “Our canopy may not look the same, but that doesn’t change the people in it.”

The Southern New Mexico Journalism Collaborative is a partnership of local newsrooms working together to cover important stories in the southern half of the state. More information: www.southNMnews.org Or www.surNMnoticias.org.

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Full text of the announcement from the Village of Ruidoso:

After careful consideration, the Mayor and Village Council have decided to allow residents to return to Ruidoso at 8:00 a.m. on Monday, June 24.

Here are some things to know about going back to school:

1. At this time, re-entry will be restricted to FULL-TIME LOCAL residents only. You will be asked to provide proof of residence.

2. The Village of Ruiodoso asks second homeowners and tourists to refrain from coming to Ruidoso to give residents time to return to their properties and assess needs or damages.

3. Please bring at least a week's supply of food and drinking water, as grocery stores are not operating at full capacity.

4. Due to the events of the past week, you may discover that your home has no gas, electricity, or water. If your house doesn't have electricity, your refrigerator won't work. You can view outage maps on PNM.com and ZNGC.com

5. There is no daycare available.

6. If you have respiratory problems, including asthma or COPD, you may find that you cannot tolerate ash, smoke and soot in the air.

7. We currently have a boil water advisory in effect, which is normal after a natural disaster. If any of our systems are found to be compromised, there is the possibility of a mandatory boil water order.

We hope you will help us make this process smooth. Remember that we are here to help you and at the same time, we want to ensure your safety and that of everyone's property.

Any questions can be directed to the COE phone bank at 575-258-6900 or more information can be found on the Village of Ruidoso website at www.Ruidoso-NM.gov.

Source: Facebook page of the Village of Ruidoso