Two fast-spreading wildfires in southern New Mexico have killed one person, forced thousands to evacuate and burned more than 23,000 acres. Officials said the fires continued to burn out of control Wednesday and it was unclear when firefighters would be able to bring them under control.
The South Fork and Salt fires broke out during a heatwave earlier this week, and a change in weather on Wednesday could make suppression efforts even more difficult. The South Fork fire, the larger of the two, has burned more than 16,000 acres and destroyed 1,400 structures, according to the Southwest Regional Disaster Management Team.
Temperatures in southern New Mexico were in the upper 80s to 90 degrees Fahrenheit on Wednesday. The National Weather Service said rain and thunderstorms were possible this afternoon, but winds of more than 15 mph were expected, which could cause fires to spread.
The National Weather Service issued a flash flood watch for Lincoln County Wednesday afternoon.
In response to the warning, emergency management officials in the village of Ruidoso, New Mexico, which lies between the two fires, announced they were “ceasing all activity” from certain areas near the fires. “As crews and crews leave these areas, anyone still in the area will be evacuated to higher ground,” officials said on social media.
Firefighters in air tankers and helicopters dropped water and extinguishing agents on the blaze while ground firefighters established fire lines. “Shifting winds and the possibility of afternoon thunderstorms could create challenging conditions for air and ground firefighters,” the Southwest Regional Incident Management Team said in a statement Wednesday.
More than 528 people were evacuated to nine emergency shelters and “hundreds of meals and snacks” were provided, the Red Cross said Wednesday.
The group also said it was “providing psychological and emotional support, relief supplies and medical services such as eyeglasses and medication replacements,” adding that more disaster relief workers were on the way, including “several tractor-trailers loaded with relief supplies.”
New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, during a press conference on Tuesday, emphasized how dangerous the wildfires have become in a short period of time.
“We have two large, devastating fires,” she said. “Large means the response is becoming more and more complicated.”
New Mexico State Forester Laura McCarthy said at the same news conference that the combination of rain and wind expected Wednesday was both good and bad news. “It also means this fire will be active, at least until we see more precipitation,” she said, adding that increasing winds could also put homes at risk.
Gov. Lujan Grisham, who declared a state of emergency in Lincoln County and the Mescalero Apache Reservation because of the fires, called the situation “very serious,” adding that travel in the southern part of the state is not only not recommended but impossible because roads are closed.
By Tuesday evening, the wildfires had become a clear threat to residents in southern New Mexico, particularly the village of Ruidoso, which lies between the two fires. State officials said at least one person had died in the fires, but details about the deaths were scarce.
The larger wildfire, the South Fork Fire, was discovered around 9 a.m. Monday in Mescalero Apache territory. Officials said the fire grew rapidly and was 0% contained as of Wednesday.
A second wildfire, the Salt Fire, was discovered a few miles away on Monday afternoon and has since burned more than 7,000 acres on tribal land, mostly in inaccessible mountainous terrain.
The province said the main trees burned in the fire were pine and juniper, along with grasses.
About 8,000 people had been evacuated from Ruidoso and surrounding areas by Tuesday evening, according to the New Mexico Forestry Department.
During a press conference, Gov. Lujan Grisham was asked if she knew if anyone was trapped or missing as people rushed to safety.
“We don't know the exact numbers, we don't know if anyone knows,” she said, “but again, if you think your loved one is at risk, we want to know that and we want to do everything we can.”
Victor Mather and Amy Ortiz Contributed report.