Wildfire Causes Evacuations in Ruidsoso

A new wildfire near Ruidoso has caused evacuations of about 250 people. The fire is burning near Three Rivers Campground, which is just southwest of Ruidoso.

The fire erupted in a matter of hours from 30 acres to 4,000. High winds have kept aircraft grounded which has made battling the fire difficult, leaving the blaze 0% contained. It all started on the backside of the White Mountains, about a half mile north of the Three Rivers Campground.

The evacuation order affected at least 250 people and according to the US Forest Service, it was issued for numerous areas including Bonito Canyon, Nogal Canyon and Ski ApacheThe Lincoln County Sheriff's Office said several evacuation centers were opened up for residents including the Nazarene Church Camp at 200 Bonito Park Road in Alto, Capitan Senior Center at 412 Tiger Drive in Capitan, and Ruidoso Downs Senior Center at 393 Highway 70 West Road in Ruidoso Downs.

The fire, which has been producing a lot of smoke and has been visible from US Highway 54, is moving to the northeast, affecting the communities of Alto, Capitan, and Ruidoso.

Much of the landscape up there is still recovering from the 2012 Little Bear Fire that burned nearly 40,000 acres. The high winds that were preventing aircraft from being able to battle the fire were also leading to the fire spreading, as gusts were hitting the area up to 60 mph. One a bright note, as of the time I'm writing this, there have been no injuries reported and no structures had been burned.