224 Homes Burn (Toll so far in Ruidoso NM fire, expected to rise)

The Albuquerque Journal ^ | June 13, 2012 | Rene Romo

[CedarDave]

RUIDOSO – More than 1,100 firefighters continued to make progress Tuesday battling the nine-day-old Little Bear Fire that destroyed 224 homes and cabins and sent plumes of smoke over the Lincoln National Forest.

The number of structures destroyed rose sharply from the 35 reported Monday after damage assessment crews completed their review of about half of the roughly 36,200 acres scorched by the lightning-sparked fire that began June 4.

“It truly is heart-breaking to see the degree of damage to this part of the country,” Gov. Susana Martinez said during a Tuesday morning news conference after being flown over the smoking forest and neighboring communities invaded by the wildfire.

“Our prayers are with you and will be with you as you start to rebuild.”

The fire, which has forced the evacuation of hundreds of residents in subdivisions north of Ruidoso, prompted Martinez to sign an executive order declaring a state of emergency in Lincoln County.

State resources deployed so far include 200 members of the National Guard assisting with road blocks and property protection, and two inmate work crews of 12 each from the Central New Mexico Correctional Facility.

Ruidoso resembles a military operation, with National Guard troops roaming the town in Humvees painted in desert camouflage brown and a small tent city where firefighters sleep having popped up at the White Mountain elementary school grounds where the headquarters is located.

The damage assessment could be completed by today, and the tally of destruction is expected to rise.

Fire management officials and the governor declined to talk about areas that were hardest hit for fear of alarming people whose homes were spared.

[CedarDave]

This article is free to read.

This is not the most destructive fire in NM history. That was the May 2000 Cerro Grande fire that destroyed over 400 homes in Los Alamos.

For more information on area fires, visit http://www.ABQjournal.com/fires

[CedarDave]

Gov. Susana Martinez, left, tours the charred landscape near Ruidoso with Linda Jameson, who lost her home in the fire. Some 224 homes were lost as of Tuesday’s count, but fire officials expect that number could rise. (adolphe pierre-louis/journal)

[CedarDave]

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[hattend]

Prayers and best wishes go out to my friends living in southern New Mexico. I’s pretty sure most have moved out of Ruidoso over the years but their children are still living nearby.

[RightOnTheBorder]

IIRC there was a to-do in the news about Cloudcroft NM (about an hour away from Ruidoso) defying the FED forestry agency by performing controlled burns and clearing underbrush. Seems like Ruidoso should have followed suit.

[greyfoxx39]

Wow! That's just horrible. Prayers up for these poor people.

I know what it's like, as I had to evacuate in AZ due to the Rodeo-Chediski fire that broke out exactly ten years ago on June 18.

The only way for ten long days we were able to find out if our home was still standing was to call our phone number and pray the answering machine would pick up.

Our home was spared, but as soon as we could we sold the home and headed for Albuquerque.

[TheThirdRuffian]

I cleared all the brush from around my house Tuesday — had an aspen I loved just too close to the house. It is now in a neat pile.

The Upper Valley (where I am) is subject to immediate evacuation.

Lake Bonita area burned to the stumps.

[hattend]

I used to camp around Lake Bonita all the time when I was stationed at Holloman.

I loved that area.