The South Fork Fire is an ongoing wildfire in New Mexico that has burned 15,276 acres (6,182 ha) near Ruidoso and is 0% contained. The fire began on June 17 near the town of Ruidoso and grew very rapdily, surpassing 21,000 acres burned.[1][2]
| South Fork Fire | |
|---|---|
| File:SouthForkFire Ruidoso NM 2024.jpg View of the South Fork fire in Ruidoso, New Mexico | |
| Date(s) | June 17, 2024 – present (6 months, 3 weeks and 6 days) |
| Location | Ruidoso, New Mexico, United States |
| Coordinates | 33°20′29″N 105°39′58″W / 33.34139°N 105.66611°W |
| Statistics | |
| Burned area | 21,000 acres (85 km2; 33 sq mi) |
| Impacts | |
| Structures destroyed | At least 1400 structures |
| Ignition | |
| Cause | Under Investigation |
| Map | |
  The location of the South Fork Fire, in southern New Mexico | |
A state of emergency was also declared by New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham.[3]
Fire
The South Fork Fire was first reported near Ruidoso on June 17, 2024, at approximately 9:07 AM MDT.[1]
On June 18, 2024, New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham declared a state of emergency in Lincoln County and the Mescalero Apache Reservation due to the South Fork Fire and nearby Salt Fire.[3][4]
Closures
Various roads have been closed due to the fire including stretches of Highway 48 and Highway 70 near Ruidoso, State Highway 48 from Alpine Village to State Highway 220 and U.S. Route 70 from mile marker 249 to mile marker 258.[5]
Evacuations
On June 17, 2024, at 7 PM MDT, just under 10 hours after the fire had begun, the entire town of Ruidoso, New Mexico was ordered to evacuate. Several evacuation centers have been set up in the city of Roswell, about 75 miles west of Ruidoso.[2][6]
Damage
Reports indicate that more than 1400 structures have been destroyed by the fire.[7][8][9]
See also
- Salt Fire, a wildfire burning near the South Fork Fire
References
- ^ a b "Map Viewer". www.arcgis.com. Retrieved June 18, 2024.
- ^ a b "New Mexico village of Ruidoso orders residents to evacuate due to raging wildfire: "GO NOW" - CBS News". www.cbsnews.com. June 18, 2024. Retrieved June 18, 2024.
- ^ a b admin@sks.com (June 18, 2024). "Governor declares state of emergency in Lincoln County and the Mescalero Apache Reservation due to wildfires". Office of the Governor - Michelle Lujan Grisham. Retrieved June 19, 2024.
- ^ Wolfe, Elizabeth (June 18, 2024). "At least 1 dead in New Mexico as 2 wildfires burn near communities, officials say". CNN. Retrieved June 19, 2024.
- ^ Gonzalez, Jessica (June 18, 2024). "Road closures, evacuation routes for Ruidoso, NM". KDBC. Retrieved June 19, 2024.
- ^ "IMMEDIATE MANDATORY "GO" EVACUATION FOR THE VILLAGE OF RUIDOSO - June 17, 2024". Ruidoso-NM.gov | Municipal Website of the Village of Ruidoso, NM. June 17, 2024. Retrieved June 19, 2024.
- ^ "More than 500 structures damaged in New Mexico wildfires that forced thousands to leave". NBC News. June 18, 2024. Retrieved June 19, 2024.
- ^ "New Mexico governor declares emergency as thousands flee wildfires that have damaged 500 structures". AP News. June 18, 2024. Retrieved June 19, 2024.
- ^ https://www.kob.com/new-mexico/albuquerque-metro/first-look-of-damage-from-ruidoso-fire/