Thousands evacuated, wildfires burn across Ruidoso

The village of Ruidoso and "a good portion of Lincoln County" were evacuated Monday and Tuesday as wind-whipped wildfires damaged hundreds of homes and businesses throughout the resort region.

"... Ruidoso, Ruidoso Downs, and Lincoln County (are in) full evacuation mode. Please stay out of the area, and do not attempt to get back into the Village. There are no open roads into Ruidoso, and the New Mexico State Police will have roadblocks at all entry points and they will not allow you to pass," the village of Ruidoso posted on its website.

Two fires – dubbed the South Fork Fire and the Salt Fire – had burned more than 18,000 acres as of 9 a.m. Tuesday. Officials said containment was at 0%.

"Today (Tuesday), there will be massive air attacks, and dozer lines are being cut to help contain the fire," the village reported on its Facebook page.

"Currently fire behavior is creeping, but a concern today (Tuesday) is increased winds that could push the fire further to the east and the northeast. Air resources will be active today for as long as it is safe to operate, working in tandem with ground resources from multiple agencies, including tribal, federal, state and local cooperators."

The village at mid-morning Tuesday estimated 500 structures had been damaged by the fires.

The South Fork Fire – the largest of the two -- was discovered at 9 a.m., Monday, village officials said. Fire growth was "rapid with extreme fire behavior."

The Red Cross reported Tuesday morning that 270 individuals had checked in to shelters in Roswell, and 120 were in Capitan shelters.

Eastern New Mexico University spokesman John Houser said the ENMU-Ruidoso campus had not been damaged, as of 11:30 a.m. Tuesday.

Houser said campus President Ryan Trosper reported that college personnel had largely relocated to facilities at ENMU-Roswell.

Tuesday's weather conditions were expected to be similar to Monday's, with a high in the mid-80s, winds at 15-20 mph and relative humidities in the single digits.

A 24% chance of rain was forecast for today, with rain chances increasing to 74% on Thursday.

Former Portales resident Nancy Gentry, now a Ruidoso-area Realtor, said she was showing a property on Monday when she learned of the fires.

She first went to her home in White Mountain Meadows near Gavilan Canyon, an area where evacuations began Monday afternoon, collected her dog, her dog's food and medicine, and took off for her son's house.

"He lives just a block off the main road going in to Ruidoso so I thought for sure I'd be safe there. I was there about 30 minutes when we got notice to evacuate from there," she said.

So Gentry headed for Portales where she still maintains a home.

"I had a quarter tank of gas, but there were so many cars (at the nearest gas station), I couldn't even get in line. I thought, 'Well, I can get into Roswell.' So that's what I did.

"It all happened so fast. It's one of the scariest things I've ever done."

Gentry said her home in Ruidoso was safe about 11 a.m. Tuesday, but the fire "is not that far away. We all know anything can happen."

Robin Nations of Portales, a regular correspondent for The Eastern New Mexico News, said she was vacationing in the area when she looked out her cabin window and saw smoke about 11 a.m. Monday.

Evacuation orders had not been received yet, but by 2 p.m., her family was on the road home, with "just one lane out of town," she said.

The city of Clovis mobilized Tuesday morning, sending 12 fire department personnel to help. The assistance included two fire engines, an ambulance and a command vehicle.

Ruthann Kelly, the Clovis/Curry County Office of Emergency Management director, was also on her way to Lincoln County late Tuesday morning.

Kelly said she'll be working from the area's emergency management office, "helping them where I can," probably answering phones.

"That's usually the bulk of what we deal with in situations like this," she said. "People trying to find out when they can go back home ... loved ones of people who knew (family) was there ... that sort of thing."

The Albuquerque Journal reported about 5,000 people had evacuated the area by 9 p.m. Monday when the fires had burned more than 3,000 acres.

The only evacuation route is on Sudderth to Highway 70 out to Roswell, according to the village. 

Officials did not immediately confirm any injuries.