Team searches fire-ravaged New Mexico community for remains of missing

As residents return to a fire-ravaged village in the mountains of southern New Mexico, the mayor warned them Monday that parts of Ruidoso remain off-limits as special search and rescue teams comb the Charred rubble along the hardest-hit streets.

They are searching for the remains of people still missing after the South Fork and Salt fires ravaged the area days ago, killing at least two people, forcing thousands to flee and destroying more than 1,500 structures.

Mayor Lynn Crawford put the number of missing at 29. Village officials said in a Sunday evening update that search teams have identified other potential deaths, but any confirmation will have to be made by investigators .

“The search and rescue teams are out there and they're with dogs and so they're still going from property to property to property,” Crawford said during his Monday morning radio address.

With cell service down during last week's evacuations, communication was made nearly impossible. While service is slowly being restored, some residents said Monday they are still having trouble getting online.

The 29 missing people have not contacted their friends or family since last Monday. The list was longer just a day ago, but village officials are using social media and working with the American Red Cross to mark evacuees as “safe” as soon as they hear from them.

Authorities have blocked traffic in so-called exclusion zones to ensure these areas remain intact until they are officially permitted. The FBI is also investigating and offering up to $10,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of those responsible for the human-caused fires.

The flames were first reported on June 17. Within hours, the fires spread across the driest parts of the Sacramento Mountains, from Mescalero Apache tribal lands toward Ruidoso. Evacuation orders affected thousands of homes, businesses and the Ruidoso Downs racetrack, causing traffic jams. people dropped everything and ran away.

Village officials estimate that several hundred homes were among the destroyed or damaged structures. Assessments continued Monday as some residents were allowed to return. Images shared on social media showed some houses reduced to ashes, with only their foundations or chimneys remaining standing. Charred vehicles and twisted metal roofs lay on the hillsides where homes once stood.

However, some properties were saved, even though the ponderosa pines that once surrounded them had blackened trunks and their needles were scorched.

The village provided temporary housing for about 500 people and food and other supplies were distributed. Authorities encouraged residents who returned Monday to bring a week's worth of bottled water and food, as some utilities have not yet been restored.

Several dozen members of the New Mexico Army and Air National Guard were stationed in Ruidoso to assist. Utility workers were also installing new utility poles and stringing wire throughout the community. Workers with the New Mexico Department of Environment were also testing the drinking water system.

President Joe Biden issued a declaration of disaster for parts of southern New Mexico last Thursday, freeing up funds and resources to help with housing and other emergency fire-related work.

The two fires burned about 40 square miles (103.6 square kilometers). Monday brought another day of light rain and higher humidity levels, helping firefighters reinforce lines around the perimeter. Complete confinement is not expected before July 15, according to firefighters.

Authorities also warned residents to be aware of the risk of flash flooding if more rain fell on bare mountain slopes.

Kerry Gladden, a spokesperson for the village of Ruidoso, stressed that wildfires are not new in the Sacramento Mountains. But she called it “a whole other level of devastation.”

“It takes your breath away when you see it,” she told the Associated Press. “And you know, we are resilient and we will rebuild and we will absolutely come back from this. But, boy, it's hard to see it at this point.