On Wednesday, crews working on the ground to fight two wildfires burning near Ruidoso had to adapt to severe weather that moved into the region causing flash flooding and some water rescues. Thousands have been evacuated due to the South Fork and Salt Fires. Officials also confirmed a second fire-related death yesterday.
At a briefing Wednesday night, New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham said officials are still trying to understand the impact of the fires.
“As the weather clears and we can get better imagery and more people start to do the ground work when it’s safe to really determine the devastation and impact of the Salt and South Fork Fire,” Lujan Grisham said.
The Governor has requested a major disaster declaration from President Joe Biden to address immediate needs of victims.
Officials on Wednesday reported that South Fork Fire and Salt Fire were over 23,400 acres combined.
This post was updated on Thursday, June 20th.
