Heavy rains could threaten flash flooding in parts of New Mexico on Thursday, weather forecasters said, complicating firefighters’ efforts to extinguish two fast-spreading wildfires that have killed two people and forced thousands of residents to evacuate.
Officials said the rain could help contain the fire, which is expected to burn for several days. But it also posed its own danger, forcing some emergency workers to move to higher ground on Wednesday because of rising water levels.
Flood warnings remained in effect Thursday morning for parts of New Mexico, including Los Alamos County, Rio Arriba County and Sandoval County. The National Weather Service said flooding was affecting drainages that drain the slopes of the Jemez Mountains.
The wildfires, the South Fork and Salt Fires, broke out earlier this week amid intense heat. In total, they have burned more than 23,000 acres. The South Fork fire, the largest of the two, has burned more than 16,000 acres and destroyed 1,400 structures, according to local officials.
About 500 of those buildings were believed to be homes, Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham said at a news conference Wednesday night. She said the damage made this fire the most destructive in New Mexico history.
“It's heartbreaking to see what our landscape looks like after the fires,” Ruidoso village spokeswoman Keri Gladden said in an interview Thursday. Ruidoso is located in the middle of two fires. “A thing of such beauty is now covered with burned trees all over the mountain slopes.”
Three flood rescues had been conducted and several people were missing, said Ms. Lujan Grisham, who had already declared a state of emergency because of the fire in Lincoln County and the Mescalero Apache Reservation.
Melanie Stansbury, who represents New Mexico's 1st congressional district, said at a news conference Wednesday night that the fires are expected to continue burning in the coming days.
Two people were killed in or near Ruidoso on Tuesday, according to New Mexico police on Wednesday. One victim, identified as 60-year-old Patrick Pearson, was found burned to death along the road near a motel, police said. The second victim, who was found in the driver's seat of a burned vehicle along the road, was not immediately identified.
Ruidoso, a popular resort spot nestled in the forested slopes of New Mexico, usually attracts thousands of tourists during peak season. But on Thursday, the city's streets were eerily empty, with local officials the only traffic. Smoke billowed in some areas, and the air smelled of burned wood.
About 8,000 residents have been evacuated because of two large wildfires burning around the town, according to the New Mexico Forestry Division. Communications in the town have been largely down, with emergency workers working from a hub at the local fire station.
Ms. Gladden, the Ruidoso spokeswoman, said communications were cut off after the fire damaged infrastructure in the mountains.
But the situation was unpredictable and the fire could still reach the city's main area. “Anything can happen with a change in the wind,” he said.
Residents who remained said they had to evacuate quickly earlier in the week as the fire inched close to their homes.
“I've seen a lot of fires. But I've never seen a whole town evacuated,” said Gabrielle Antoine, 34, desk manager at the village's La Quinta Inn.
Ms. Antoine said she decided to stay to help keep the hotel open for firefighters and others who needed shelter. But she said she was worried about running out of gas and other supplies. “There’s nothing to eat at the stores,” she said.
“We helped families get out of their homes and the fire was about 100 yards from their homes,” said Thomas Kaze, a member of the Mescalero Apache Tribe, who was helping direct traffic away from the area Wednesday night where the fire was still active. “We were rushing to get them out.”
Temperatures in southern New Mexico reached the 80s and 90s on Wednesday after a storm dumped torrential rain on the Ruidoso area in the afternoon, with some areas receiving as much as 2.5 inches of rain in a half hour, the National Weather Service reported on social media.
The National Weather Service described the situation as “extremely dangerous” on social media on Wednesday, saying, “Water rescues are ongoing in the Ruidoso area as floodwaters are rushing down slopes from nearby burn sites.” It has declared a flash flood emergency for Ruidoso and some surrounding areas, and issued severe storm surge and flash flood warnings for several New Mexico counties.
Officials in Ruidoso said Wednesday afternoon they were halting operations in some areas near the fire because of the warnings. “As units and crews leave these areas, they will evacuate everyone who is still in the area,” officials said on social media. Earlier, firefighters aboard air tankers and helicopters dropped water and fire extinguishers on the fire while firefighters on the ground constructed firelines.
The Red Cross said Wednesday that more than 528 people had taken refuge in nine emergency shelters and hundreds of meals and snacks had been provided. The organization said it was also providing emotional support, relief supplies and health services, and that disaster workers were on their way.
The South Fork fire was detected Monday at 9 a.m. on Mescalero Apache tribal territory. The Salt fire was detected Monday afternoon a few miles away and has since burned more than 7,000 acres of tribal land in mostly remote mountainous terrain.
Victor Mather And Aimee Ortiz Contributed reporting.