An evacuation order was ordered in Ruidoso after a rapidly growing wildfire swept through the New Mexico village on Monday.
An estimated 5,000 residents were urged to evacuate the village area due to the ‘South Fork Fire’ in a post from the Village of Ruidoso X account, formerly Twitter.
‘IMMEDIATE MANDATORY EVACUATION “GO” FOR THE TOWN OF RUIDOSO – GO NOW!! An emergency mandatory GO evacuation is issued for the entire town of Ruidoso from Sudderth/Mechem to Freedom Bloom in Big O Tire. Please do not try to gather belongings or protect your home. GO NOW,” the post said.
The videos show how a wall of smoke fills the sky over the town.
So far, both Highway 48 and Highway 70 in Apache Summit are closed, and the only evacuation route available is from Sudderth to Highway 70, which leads to Roswell.
The map shows the evacuation route from Ruidoso to Roswell, as Highways 48 and 70 in Apache Summit remain closed due to wildfires.
Evacuations ordered in the village of Ruidoso, New Mexico, amid a wildfire
Images show the glow of the fire engulfing the skies of Ruidoso
The fire is said to have started Monday on the Mescalero Apache Reservation.
The city of Roswell, which is about 70 miles east of Ruidoso, has been accommodating evacuees.
Hospital space has been cleared for patients being relocated from the Ruidoso hospital and emergency shelters are being set up for people and livestock.
Another clip that appeared on
The Town of Ruidoso facebook group has been informing its residents about the fire and offering regular updates on where to seek shelter.
According to the Town of Ruidoso Fire Department WebsiteThe fire started on the Mescalero Apache Reservation, about two or three miles from the town limits.
The fire department said the Smokey Bear Hot Shots, an elite Type 1 firefighting team, were actively responding to the fire and that an interagency dispatch had ordered an airstrike to combat the fire.
A Type 1 helicopter was also ordered to assist others in water dropping, and a large tanker and other Hot Shot equipment was ordered for mud dropping.
However, the fire spread to at least 3,000 acres by nightfall, according to CNN.
A second fire, the Salt Fire, also burns on tribal lands south of Ruidoso.
Although Ruidoso has a population of about 8,000, according to a 2010 census, as a resort community near the Ski Apache slopes, it attracts recreational tourists. The town estimates that around 60% of its homes are vacation homes.
Plumes of smoke from the South Fork Fire rise above the tree line as the fire advances from the Mescalero Apache Indian Reservation to the Lincoln National Forest, prompting mandatory evacuations in Ruidoso, New Mexico, on Monday.
A USDA Forest Service firefighter and volunteers from surrounding towns coordinate to rescue animals trapped on a property in Cedar Creek, where the South Fork Fire prompted evacuations in Ruidoso, New Mexico.
People arrive at an emergency shelter where university and local officials set up cots and other Red Cross resources for those under evacuation orders.
Charlie Barron holds his head in his hands after settling into an emergency shelter where university and local officials set up cots and other Red Cross resources.
Ruidoso is located on the northern edge of the Mescalaro Apache Indian Reservation.
New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham said in a post on as possible to protect people and property.
He also urged residents to “remain calm and follow official guidance to help minimize the risk.”
“I want to thank all the first responders and others who are fighting these fires, managing the evacuation and providing crucial emergency services, including the city of Roswell, which quickly set up shelter for evacuees. New Mexicans always come together in times of need , and this time is no different,” he added.
The wildfires ravaging the New Mexico village are not the only ones in the western United States, as Los Angeles County is currently battling a 15,000-acre fire.