A week after a pair of wildfires led to a forced evacuation of Ruidoso, some residents were permitted to return to the village on Monday to observe the damage to their property and begin rebuilding their lives.
Effective 8 a.m. Monday, full-time residents of the popular tourist destination were allowed to return to Ruidoso, even as the South Fork and Salt Fires continue to torch thousands of acres in and around the village and as dangers associated with flash flooding remain.
The Southwest Area Incident Management Team stated in their morning report Monday that the amount of acreage consumed by the South Fork Fire in and around Rudioso remained unchanged from Sunday at 17,551 acres. The fire is now 37% contained, an improvement over the 31% containment reported on Sunday.
In that same report, fire officials said that the Salt Fire, which is burning west of the Mescelaro Apache Reservation, grew slightly to 7,816 acres while remaining at 7% containment.
“Today, crews will focus on mop-up, clearing snags, hazardous tree operations and securing the perimeter where conditions allow. Incident personnel will also continue structural assessments in neighborhoods and the fire area,” the update stated.
Several days of rainfall and thunderstorms have tamed the wildfires, but flash flooding has created additional obstacles, including increased debris flows near burn-scarred areas.
The update also warned that while fire activity has been diminished to smoldering and creeping amid piles of dried fuels, fire and smoke can increase in interior pockets of unburned fuels as the weather grows warmer.
Local officials are warning returning residents that the community has been significantly transformed by the fires and that restoring Ruidoso will be a long-term endeavor.
“We are badly hurt, and we are getting a lot of help, but it’s still going to take a lot of time,” Randall Camp, the Lincoln County manager, said during a Sunday night community meeting that was livestreamed on Facebook.
As many as 1,400 structures have been impacted by the fires, some of which are homes. Camp noted that many areas within and outside of the village lack access to electricity and natural gas.
Camp explained that many resources are limited throughout the county as crews work to get utilities back on.
“Everybody’s working, and they are backed up, and they are trying. We’ve got all sorts of resources coming in. It’s just going to take time,” he said.
Wes Gary of the Public Service Company of New Mexico, also known as PNM, said at the meeting that upwards of 1,500 power poles will need to be replaced to restore electricity.
Access to some areas will continue to be prohibited as crews clear debris and search for individuals who remain unaccounted for.
Ruidoso Mayor Lynn Crawford said at the Sunday night meeting that emergency housing has also been made available for residents who lost their homes or owners of properties in exclusion zones. He added that the units can provide temporary housing to up to 500 people and that the Red Cross will provide meals. The housing is at the White Mountain Meadow Sports Complex at 687 Hull Road.
Because grocery stores are unable to open and the New Mexico Environment Department has issued a precautionary drinking water advisory for areas in and around Ruidoso, returning residents have been instructed to bring with them a week’s supply of food and water.
Officials warn people not to fly drones in the impacted area, noting that a restricted fly zone has been placed over the fire areas.
Albert Newman, the air operations branch director for Southwest Incident Management Team 5, noted that temporary flight restrictions have been placed on areas over the fires, especially for drones, which pose a danger to first responders working to survey and extinguish fires.
Newman said he has received daily reports of drones flying in those restricted areas. He warned on Sunday that anyone flying a drone in those restricted areas without authorization from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) could lose their pilot’s license, be fined and have their drones confiscated.
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