The Federal Bureau of Investigation is offering rewards for information about two wildfires in southern New Mexico that have killed two people, forced thousands to evacuate and burned more than 24,000 acres.
The agency said in a statement it was offering a reward of up to $10,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of “anyone” responsible for starting the fire near the village of Ruidoso, New Mexico.
The FBI has asked for the public's help in determining the cause of the fire.
Margot Cravens, a spokeswoman for the FBI field office in Albuquerque, declined to comment Sunday evening but confirmed that the FBI is assisting with the investigation.
The South Fork and Salt fires began in extreme heat on June 17 and continued to burn into Sunday evening. Extreme temperatures, low humidity and heavy rains in the region have complicated efforts to extinguish the fires, which are burning on Mescalero Apache land, U.S. Forest Service land and in areas surrounding Ruidoso.
The South Fork Fire, the larger of the two fires, has burned more than 17,000 acres and was only 31 percent contained as of Sunday, according to the New Mexico Fire Information website run by federal and state agencies.
The Salt Fire has burned more than 7,000 acres on tribal land, mostly in inaccessible mountainous terrain, and is only 7 percent contained, according to officials.
The two people who died were found Tuesday in or near the city of Ruidoso, New Mexico State Police said. One man, a 60-year-old man, was found burned on the side of the road near a motel, police said. The other victim was found in the driver's seat of a burned vehicle on the road.
Officials said about 1,400 buildings were destroyed and about 8,000 people in Ruidoso and surrounding areas were forced to evacuate.
The Village of Ruidoso announced it was lifting evacuation orders for full-time residents and would allow them to return starting at 8 a.m. Monday. Some homes will have gas, water and electricity cut off, and smoke and ash may cause poor air quality, according to a statement on the village's website. Residents are advised to bring a week's supply of food and water.
Some areas are considered crime scenes and will remain off-limits as “cleanup operations are ongoing,” the statement said.
The report Derrick Bryson Taylor, Isabella Quai, Jaycee Fortin, Yang Zhuan and Reyes Mata III.
