(NewsNation) — A wildfire in New Mexico that has burned more than 200 homes and killed two people started after strong winds toppled a power line, authorities said Friday.
Flames are continuing to burn toward the north and northeast in Ruidoso after the blaze began on Tuesday, according to NewsNation local affiliate KQRE.
Remains of the elderly couple who died were found Wednesday afternoon near their home. Family members told Ruidoso Police that the two had tried to evacuate, but were unaccounted for. New Mexico State Police are working to identify the couple.
About 5,000 people have been evacuated so far, authorities said Friday.
An estimated 9 square miles of forest and grass were torched.
Community members have been stepping up to help people any way they can, KQRE reported. One real estate agent who talked to the station said he has been collecting and distributing items to those affected by the fire.
Gavin Bigger told the station he started small, with donations from people he knew, but as the fire grew, so did the people who wanted to help.
“It’s very tragic— you see the images and hearing about people losing their homes, there is not a word for it,” he said.
Among the many items he has collected are clothes, toiletries, hairbrushes, towels and bedding.
Ruidoso Mayor Lynn Crawford said the village is overflowing with donations from surrounding communities.
“So we have plenty of food, we have plenty of clothes, those kinds of things but we still appreciate and need your prayers and your thoughts,” the mayor said during a briefing. “Again, our hearts go out to the family of the deceased, to those that have lost their homes.”
Wildfires have touched areas outside of Ruidoso as well, including along the Rio Grande south of Albuquerque, in mountains northwest of the community of Las Vegas and in grasslands along the Pecos River near the town of Roswell.
Since 2022 started, 18,550 wildfires have burned about 1,250 square miles, which is well above the 10-year average of 12,290 wildfires and 835 square miles.
With winds expected to pick up again Friday, Incident Commander Dave Bales said the strategy was “attack while we can.” Persistent dry and windy conditions prompted another day of red flag warnings, meaning high fire danger, for the eastern third of New Mexico and other parts of the Midwest.
“We’re trying to keep this fire as small as possible, especially because it’s right in the community,” Bales said. “We’ve had a loss of a lot of structures so our crews are right there on the fire front going as direct as possible.”
