Diana Alba Soular

He left home in a purple pickup. She warned him about the wind. What happened next is part of a growing crisis on this lonely stretch of highway in southwest New Mexico.

Group says extra food helps, but doesn’t end hunger.

Utility providers scramble to repair fire damage.

Residents advised to bring a week’s worth of food, water.

Weather officials said an influx of moisture into the region from the Gulf of Mexico has helped to slow the blazes’ growth and creates more favorable conditions for firefighting the next few days. Both fires are still considered 0% contained, despite massive firefighting efforts on several of the blazes’ fronts.

Intense storm adds new twist to fire crisis.

Pearson had arranged a ride out of town with friends, but it was too late as that vehicle was denied entry to Ruidoso as the highways were shut down.

On Wednesday, state police officers found a body “located in the driver seat of a burned vehicle on Ranier Road,” according to a statement from the agency.

Second evacuation order issued for neighboring city.

The only way for Ruidoso Downs residents to evacuate is east along U.S. Hwy. 70 toward Roswell. The city has a population of about 2,600 people.