New Mexico’s governor said the entire village of Ruidoso, population 7,000, had been evacuated, and that the magnitude of the fires is beyond local control.
Thousands flee New Mexico wildfires that have damaged 500 structures and prompted emergency declarationSmoke from a wildfire rises over Ruidoso, N.M., Monday, June 17, 2024. Residents of the mountain village of about 7,000 residents fled their homes under evacuation orders with little time to rescue belongings.
The magnitude of the fires is beyond local control and requires immediate state intervention to protect public health, safety and welfare, Lujan Grisham said in a statement Tuesday afternoon. She said more than 500 structures had been damaged and the entire village of Ruidoso, population 7,000, had been evacuated. It is unclear how many homes were engulfed by the fast-moving flames.
“As we were leaving, there were flames in front of me and to the side of me,” she said. “And all the animals were just running — charging — trying to get out.” On social media posts, Ruidoso officials didn’t mince words: “GO NOW: Do not attempt to gather belongings or protect your home. Evacuate immediately.”
On Tuesday, the couple got a call from friends who are on vacation in Utah but have a home in Ruidoso that they’ve been told was destroyed, Jacquie Escajeda said. “We had a 40-mph wind that was taking this fire all along the ridge, we could literally see 100-foot flames,” said Jones, who relocated in a camper. “That’s why it consumed so much acreage.”
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