6-26-2024 7:00am

Ruidoso Fire Update: Eight or Fewer Missing

Chris Edwards Editor

Ruidoso authorities still taking inventory of infrastructure to determine extent of damages and it will take some time says officials. Fire officers continue the investigation and assessments of damages to include gas and water lines, electricity, internet, switch boxes, homes and building damages, street repairs and impact by flooding to bridges and other infrastructure.

As the search for more victims continues, residents of Ruidoso, New Mexico, were allowed to enter the village after a pair of wildfires converged on the community, causing massive destruction.
The search and rescue teams are in there. They’re with canines, and they’re still going property to property to property,” Mayor Lynn Crawford told radio station KRUI-AM.

“Eight or less” individuals are still missing as of Tuesday, Crawford said. Among the missing are Ruidoso residents who authorities have not been able to get in touch with or people who were in the area on vacation in a short-term rental. The mayor said he couldn’t reveal the names or details of the missing people.

Personnel: 1,006

Containment increases to South Fork – 54%; Salt – 38%.

Fire activity has reduced significantly across the South Fork and Salt fires thanks to persistent scattered storms. While pockets of large, heavy, dead/downed fuels, snags, and stumps continue to smolder, growth potential along the perimeter will be very minimal.

Evacuations: No evacuations are in place. However, designated “NO ENTRY/EXCLUSION ZONES” remain in place in some areas of the village. Use www.lincolncountynm.gov and www.ruidoso-nm.gov/south-fork-fire or contact the Emergency Operations Centers for more information.

Tribal members who have been displaced outside of the Mescalero Apache Reservation due to the fires are strongly encouraged to contact the Tribe’s Emergency Operations Center (EOC) to help you and your families get back to the reservation. If you’re stranded out of town at other evacuation sites, please call the EOC at 575-464-9214 for more details.

Closures: A South Fork Fire Emergency Closure Order was issued on June 20, 2024, for national forest lands within the Smokey Bear Ranger District. The identified areas, and roads and trails therein, are closed to public access to allow firefighting personnel to work and through the fire area safely. More information is available at www.fs.usda.gov/alerts/lincoln/alerts-notices/?aid=88199.

A Temporary Flight Restriction (TFR) is in place over the fire area. Public/commercial drone flights are also prohibited within this area. If you fly, we may have to ground our air resources. Visit https://www.tfr.faa.gov for more information.

More information:

Inciweb: https://inciweb.wildfire.gov/incident-information/nmmea-south-fork-and-salt

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SWIMT5

Smoke Outlook: https://outlooks.wildlandfiresmoke.net/outlook/430b2c05

Lincoln County Government: www.lincolncountynm.gov

Mescalero Apache Tribe: https://mescaleroapachetribe.com

Village of Ruidoso: www.ruidoso-nm.gov/south-fork-fire\