Wildfires Ravage New Mexico

Thousands Evacuated as Two Blazes Burn Acres

Two wildfires that began Monday in Southern New Mexico have forced the evacuations of thousands of people and burned thousands of acres, according to local officials.

The South Fork Fire, located eight miles north of Ruidoso in the White Mountain Wilderness Area, has burned 13,921 acres since it ignited on Monday and has not yet been contained, the Village of Ruidoso said early Tuesday. A second blaze, the Salt Fire, is also burning across 4,876 acres in the Mescalero Reservation in Otero County, southwest of Ruidoso, and is also zero percent contained, according to the county's emergency management office.

The Blue 2 Fire, which started on May 16, 2024, has burned 7,532 acres and is now 91 percent contained, officials said Tuesday morning.