ROSWELL, N.M. (AP) — Cooler weather — and the chance of rain — could bring some relief this week to firefighters battling blazes in southern New Mexico that killed one person, damaged hundreds of structures and forced thousands to evacuate.
Strong wind the larger of two wildfires into the mountain village of Ruidoso, forcing residents to flee immediately with little notice. Weather patterns are expected to shift by Wednesday morning with moisture from a tropical wave in the Gulf of Mexico, said Joshua Schroeder of the National Weather Service in Albuquerque. “Today was really our last dry day,” he said late Tuesday.
“Rains will then peak into Thursday and diminish by the weekend.” On the downside, he said, some shifts in wind were possible later Wednesday, and rain could lead to flash flooding in newly burned areas. Ruidoso and much of the Southwest has been exceedingly dry and hot this spring.
Those conditions, along with strong wind, whipped flames out of control Monday and Tuesday, rapidly advancing the South Fork Fire into the village. Along with homes and businesses, a regional medical center and the Ruidoso Downs horse track were evacuated. Gov.
Michelle Lujan Grisham’s office as a result of the fire but said it had no further details. More than 500 structures have been destroyed or damaged, but it’s unclear how many were homes. A flyover to provide more accurate mapping and a better assessment of damage was planned overnight Tuesday, Lujan Grisham sai.
