‘Evacuate immediately’: New Mexico villagers told to flee fast-moving fire

Residents of Ruidoso told to leave belongings behind as South Fork fire bears down of community of 7,000

Associated Press
Tue 18 Jun 2024 08.01 EDT

Residents of a village in southern New Mexico were ordered to flee their homes on Monday evening without taking time to grab any belongings due to a fast-moving wildfire.

“GO NOW: Do not attempt to gather belongings or protect your home. Evacuate immediately,” officials with Ruidoso, a village home to 7,000 people, said on its website and in social media posts at about 7pm.

Public Service Company of New Mexico shut off power to part of the village due to the fire, which was estimated at about 8.2 sq miles (21.2 sq km) with 0% containment, the state forestry division said late on Monday. The agency said multiple structures were under threat and a number had been lost. A portion of US highway 70 was closed south of the village.

“We were getting ready to sit down to a meal and the alert came on: evacuate now, don’t take anything or plan to pack anything, just evacuate,” Mary Lou Minic told KOB-TV. “And within three to five minutes, we were in the car, leaving.”

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