New Mexico Town Ordered to Evacuate Due to Large, Uncontained Wildfire

Residents of a New Mexico town were ordered to flee their homes on Monday due to a fast-moving wildfire.

The town of Ruidoso, with roughly 7,000 residents, was ordered to immediately evacuate from the South Fork and Salt fires.

“An emergency mandatory GO evacuation has been issued for the entire Village of Ruidoso due to the South Fork Fire,” states a government warning that went out late Monday. “The evacuation area extends from Sudderth/Mechem to Freedom Bloom at Big O Tire.”

The Public Service Company of New Mexico shut off power to part of the village. The state forestry division said multiple structures were under threat and several had been lost. A portion of US highway 70 was closed.

The state forestry division said the fire covered roughly 8.2 square miles and was 0% contained.