New Mexico wildfires: What to know Wednesday about South Fork Fire, Salt Fire
Two wildfires in southern New Mexico had consumed about 21,000 acres, causing the mandatory evacuation of residents and tourists from the communities of Ruidoso, Mescalero and Ruidoso Downs, which are sandwiched in between the fires.
The fast-growing South Fork Fire started on Monday, June 17 inside the Lincoln National Forest and on Mescalero Apache Tribal lands. Firefighters battling the blaze amid windy conditions are also being challenged by the Salt Fire.
The South Fork Fire had destroyed a reported 1,400 structures by Tuesday evening, according to an update from the New Mexico State Forestry Division, although it's not yet know how many of those may have been homes, and there is still no containment on either of the wildfires as of Tuesday evening.
New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham's office confirmed Tuesday afternoon that one person had died as a result of the fires.
The forecast on Wednesday calls for more sun with a high of 84 degrees and southeast wind of 10 to 15 mph. After 3 p.m. the National Weather Service is forecasting showers and thunderstorms in the area of Sierra Blanca Regional Airport.
Where are the South Fork Fire and Salt Fire burning?
The fires are burning in Otero and Lincoln counties, and on Mescalero Apache tribal lands.
A concern firefighters had was that the wind could push the South Fork Fire, burning in the national forest, tribal lands and areas surrounding Ruidoso, further to the east and northeast. As of Tuesday afternoon, the South Fork Fire had charred 15,276 acres.
The Salt Fire, too, is burning in the Mescalero Reservation and southwest of Ruidoso. It's consumed 5,557 acres southeast of the South Fork Fire.
How did the South Fork Fire start?
That's under investigation, but the fire was discovered at 9 a.m. on Monday. Its spread was rapid and firefighters witnessed "extreme fire behavior."
Is there a Ruidoso area evacuation map?
Authorities placed the entire communities of Ruidoso, Mescalero and Ruidoso Downs under mandatory evacuation. To see an interactive map showing the perimeter of the fire, go to Ruidoso-NM.gov and scroll down.
A new, bigger group – Southwest Area Incident Management Team 5 – is expected to assume command of the fire at 6 a.m. Wednesday.
Ruidoso is a known as a haven for the outdoors, draws hiking, alpine skiing and golf tourism year-round but especially during the summer. It is estimated to be home to about 7,900 residents, according to the U.S. Census. Mescalero has a population of just under 900 residents and Ruidoso Downs had about 2,650 residents.
Are the webcams in Ruidoso working?
Ruidoso.net, which promotes tourism in the area, including lodging, cabin rentals and real estate, hosts three webcams on its homepage.
The Sierra Blanca camera sits atop the Ruidoso Athletic Club at 415 Wingfield St., and the Midtown camera is in the center of the town's entertainment district on Sudderth Drive.
Sierra Blanca had been working earlier on Tuesday afternoon, showing gray and orange, smoky skies in the background, but by evening it was offline.
The Midtown cameras showed a still and deserted downtown most of Tuesday.
A third webcam, at Ski Apache resort, is also offline.
This article originally appeared on Redding Record Searchlight: New Mexico wildfires force Ruidoso evacuation: What to know
