Muleshoe natives lose two homes in Ruidoso fires

Monday morning began like any other day for Muleshoe native Curtis Hunt. Now a Ruidoso resident, he received a warning on his “Watch Duty” app, which informs the public about forest fires.

A small fire had been reported northeast of his neighborhood in Ruidoso’s Cedar Creek subdivision.

Initially, Hunt dismissed the warnings, assuming the fire would be handled by officials in no time. But as the day progressed, he could hear planes and helicopters rushing to the scene from his porch. Early that afternoon, the seriousness of the situation presented itself.

“I got back to my office (he’s a Realtor in downtown Ruidoso) after my lunch break and I turned the corner and there was this big wall of smoke,” Hunt said. 

Hunt called his wife, Lavon, and asked her to grab their laptops and a handful of clothes; the plan was to stay at his office for the night.

“But by 4:30 and seeing it spread to about 1,700 acres, I knew then we were not gonna be able to go back,” Hunt said. 

The couple evacuated and went to Roswell for the night, where they silently watched the path of destruction on the app. The fire appeared to consume their home and an Airbnb they operated across the street.

Later in the week, they received official confirmation of the losses in the form of a photo from a friend who works for the water company and stayed behind. 

Hunt said he and Lavon had owned their Ruidoso home for about four years, living there part time. They declared it their permanent residence about three weeks ago.

“When you’re a 61-year-old man and you spend your entire life looking to the future… That was our dream and now it’s gone,” Hunt said on Thursday.  

“It was our home, our retreat, our haven, it was everything to us. “

Despite the loss of their home, clothes and most of their belongings, Hunt said he feels fortunate the couple still maintains a home in Muleshoe, where they both grew up.

The Hunts are among dozens of eastern New Mexico-area residents who lost property in the wildfires, or were still waiting last week to find out their homes’ fate.

Officials late last week reported more than 1,400 structures had been lost to the fires, which also killed at least two people and had scorched more than 23,000 acres. Heavy rains on Thursday and Friday brought flooding to the area, but the fires remained 0% contained late in the week.

More than 800 personnel are battling the blazes and focused on “protecting lives, homes, and critical infrastructure,” according to the village of Ruidoso website.

A few area residents with close ties to the resort community on Thursday shared what they know with The News:

Micah Thompson of Portales, whose family has owned a cabin for 17 years near Ruidoso, learned Friday her home was lost: “We were traveling when we first heard of the fire and evacuations. I wasn’t worried initially because our house in Alto is nowhere near the first areas that were being evacuated. But as the day continued and more and more acres burned, I could see our cabin was right in the path of destruction,” she told The News last week.

“Total loss,” she wrote on her Facebook page on which she also posted a photo of the damage. “We are devastated of course and have cried rivers of tears. But we continue to rejoice with everyone who was spared this tragedy.”

Robin Nations, Portales, has a couple of timeshares that she believes are safe. She was there when the fire started and left for home on Monday, hours after she first saw smoke: “We’ve been going up there for over 30 years now and we’ve seen a lot of the fires and flooding. Ruidoso always seems to bounce back. It’s a strong community with a lot of support from locals and visitors like us.” 

Nancy Gentry, longtime Portales resident who moved to Ruidoso a few years ago: “My home is still there right now. … I know quite a few friends who lost their houses and it’s devastating.”

Ruidoso officials announced Saturday that full-time residents will be allowed back into the community beginning at 8 a.m. Monday. They asked part-time residents and tourists wait a few more days as the fire dangers continue to subside.

“We understand that residents want back into the area to access their homes, but this remains an active disaster area and we’re asking for patience and understanding with the reality of the situation we’re facing,” Ruidoso Mayor Lynn Crawford told The Ruidoso News.