Village in New Mexico fully evacuated as two fires merge, threatening it intensely, according to an official's statement.
Smoke fills the air over Ruidoso village on a Monday evening as a long line of vehicles depart from the community. Approximately 5,000 villagers were ordered to flee their homes due to the looming South Fork Fire, as reported by George Ducker, a spokesperson for New Mexico Forestry.
The South Fork Fire ignited on Monday morning on the Mescalero Apache tribal land and quickly spread to at least 3,000 acres by nightfall, according to Ducker. Another fire, the Salt Fire, is burning on tribal land south of Ruidoso and has burned 2,000 acres.
Ducker described both fires as acting like a pair of tongs, with Ruidoso caught in the middle. Several structures have been destroyed, but the extent of the damage is still unknown.
Evacuation orders have also been issued for parts of the Mescalero Apache Indian Reservation, which lies just south of Ruidoso, affecting areas such as Snow Springs, Fence Canyon, Whitetail, Chihuahua Well, Fantasy Lane, Summit area, and Botella Road, according to the tribe.
New Mexico State Police mentioned that they're dealing with phone outages in their southern communications center, which could potentially hinder their ability to respond to emergency calls.
Though Ruidoso has only about 8,000 permanent residents, it draws in a flow of recreational tourists with its winding trails, expansive parks, and wilderness. The village estimates that around 60% of its houses are second homes.
Rebecca Dennis, a vacationer in Ruidoso with her family, noticed the smoke on Monday morning and preemptively prepared her family's belongings as the fire appeared to be advancing. When the village was ordered to evacuate, the family hopped in their car to return to their home in Oklahoma.
"I can't fathom the chaos had we not been prepared. I genuinely feel awful for the residents and everyone. But it was heart-wrenching to see the fires all around us," Dennis wrote on Facebook.
By Monday evening, only a few routes remained open for evacuation after Highways 48 and 70 at Apache Summit were closed due to the South Fork Fire, according to the village's Facebook advisory: "The sole route for evacuation is on Sudderth to Highway 70 and out to Roswell."
The city of Roswell – approximately 70 miles east of Ruidoso – hastily made preparations to accommodate evacuees on Monday, including clearing hospital space for patients being moved from the Ruidoso hospital and erecting emergency shelters for people and livestock.
A shelter is available at Eastern New Mexico University, and evacuees with RVs or large animals can also park and house their animals at the Eastern New Mexico State Fairgrounds, as announced by the city of Roswell.
Electricity utility PNM stated that they had cut power in portions of Ruidoso at the request of emergency responders. As of Monday night, almost 800 homes and businesses were affected, the utility reported.
"Safety is our top priority, and we do not make this decision lightly, but are doing everything possible to cooperate with our first responders serving the affected communities," the utility said in a Facebook post.
The fires' rapid growth has been fueled by very dry air and high temperatures. The conditions prompted the Storm Prediction Center to issue an elevated fire risk alert over most of New Mexico, meaning the wind and low humidity could lead to increased fire hazards.
The wildfires sweeping across southern New Mexico are part of a series of fires engulfing the West, including a 15,000-acre blaze in Los Angeles County.
As humanity continues to contribute to climate change through fossil fuel pollution, scientists warn that rapidly-spreading, catastrophic wildfires will become more common in the future, in part due to hotter temperatures and widespread drought conditions.
Portions of Lincoln County, where Ruidoso is located, are undergoing multiple levels of drought ranging from moderate to severe, as indicated by the US Drought Monitor.
This story is still developing and will be updated.
CNN’s Melissa Alonso, Dave Alsup, Amanda Jackson, and Robert Shackelford contributed to this report.
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The evacuation orders also affected residents of nearby US communities, as mentioned by the local authorities. Despite Ruidoso having around 8,000 permanent residents, it attracts a significant number of tourists from various parts of the US.
