Disaster Strikes Twice: Ruidoso, NM Fight Against Wildfires and Floods

Ruidoso, New Mexico is still dealing with wildfires that have displaced residents as it has been estimated to have burned more than 20,000 acres, destroying 1,400 structures.

The fire is still at 0% containment and agents from the U.S. Border Patrol stations in El Paso and Alamogordo have deployed to Ruidoso to help with the firefighting efforts.

Families Searching For Loved Ones: 

Due to the wildfires, internet access in the Ruidoso area is non-existent causing panic for family and friends who can not contact their loved ones due to the lack of internet service.

Ruidoso Wildfires Claim The Lives of Two:

Patrick Pearson, a beloved musician in Ruidoso, was known for his vibrant performances and generous spirit. According to close family and friends, he became a fixture in the community thanks to his bass playing and cover songs that he would sing at the local bar, Quarters.

Tragically, Pearson, 60, lost his life on June 17 or 18 as the South Fork Fire devastated the village in the Sacramento Mountains. Fire crews discovered his body among the ruins of the Swiss Chalet Inn, where he had been living since relocating from Albuquerque.

The second confirmed death was confirmed by State Police who say the person’s identity remains unidentified due to their condition being skeletal remains. State Police stated that they found a person in the driver's seat of a burned vehicle on Ranier Road during the South Fork Fire just before noon on Tuesday in Ruidoso.

South Fork & Salt Fire Updates: 

As of Wednesday afternoon, the South Fork Fire had scorched approximately 16,335 acres in the Ruidoso area, prompting a full evacuation of all residents on Monday, according to the New Mexico Forestry Division. 

Meanwhile, the nearby Salt Fire burned an additional 7,071 acres south of the village, leading to the evacuation of Ruidoso Downs the following day.

Wednesday brought plenty of rain to the Ruidoso area and although this news sounded positive for the wildfires, the heavy rain caused flooding that took out trees, power lines, and even a trailer park in Ruidoso Downs.

According to officials, the area received about 15 hundredths of an inch of rain within 30 minutes causing flash flooding through Gavilan Canyon.

Overwhelmed With Donations:

Ruidoso officials recently posted on their social media pages thanking people for the overwhelming support of donations for those in need in the Ruidoso community, and they urged people to continue helping the community through online monetary donations.

Their post read:

“We appreciate all of the donations that have been coming in, but we are receiving reports from the donation drop-off locations that they are becoming overwhelmed with the amount of items.” 

 

Online Donations:

Monetary donations can be made to the Community Foundation of Southern New Mexico. Additionally, the Mescalero Apache Tribe has set up a GoFundMe for fire relief.

Monetary donations can also be made to The Community Foundation of Lincoln County. https://www.cfolc.org. 

Emergency Shelters:

Evacuees from the Mescalero Apache Reservation should proceed to the Community Center Gymnasium. For assistance, contact the Emergency Operations Center at 575-258-6900.