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RUIDOSO, New Mexico (KVIA) -- The US National Weather Service issued a Flash Flood Warning for Ruidoso. Images coming into our newsroom show high levels of floodwaters rushing through town. …

Residents of the Village of Ruidoso are under an emergency mandatory evacuation order due to wildfires in the area. The South Fork Fire and the Salt Fire are burning on Mescalero tribal land, near Ruidoso, according to the New Mexico Forestry Division. Residents should evacuate immediately without gathering belongings or attempting to protect their homes., officials with the Village of Ruidoso shared via social media at 6:54 p.m. on Monday, June 17. Several roads are closed, including Highway 48 and Highway 70 at Apache Summit. The only evacuation route is Sudderth to Highway 70 out to Roswell. A fire warning...

Evacuation orders for close to 5,000 people are still in place as firefighters battle a deadly blaze in New Mexico Douglas Siddens’ mother was among those who made it out with just the clothes on her back when a deadly, wind-fueled wildfire ripped through a mountain community in southern New Mexico. The RV park where she lived was reduced to “metal frame rails and steel wheels,” said Siddens, who managed the site “I had like 10 people displaced. They lost their homes and everything, including my mom,” he said. The fire has destroyed more than 200 homes and killed two...

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...

RUIDOSO, N.M. (KRQE) - Skyranger pilot-reporter Bob Martin produced this special report while surveying the Little Bear Fire in the Lincoln National Forest Sunday. Video at the link:http://www.krqe.com/dpp/weather/wildfires/skyranger-over-the-little-bear-fire

Armed citizens, upset by a government disarmament edict, confronted the Ruidoso, New Mexico city council Tuesday night in defiance of an executive order from the mayor banning guns on city property, KRQE reports. Yet despite what anchor Dick Knipfing describes as “powerful emotions,” dozens of armed citizens conducted themselves peaceably, controlling themselves and their anger against what activist and New Mexico Militia leader Bob Wright called the act of a “tyrant.” Larry Pratt of Gun Owners of America, who made a special point of flying in and appearing armed, offered a cogent rebuttal to Ruidoso Mayor Ray Alborn’s loopy contention...

Mayor bans firearms on public property. Citizens arm themselves, come to city council meeting and disobey the order. At one guy even slung an AR. Of course Larry Pratt and Bob Wright are in the middle of the resistance. Bob reports the cops were "VERY, VERY polite." With at least 80 armed citizens in the room that was probably a good idea.

RUIDOSO, N.M. -- Some Ruidoso residents are upset over a mayor's recent executive order banning guns on village property. KRQE-TV reported that residents plan to voice their outrage at a city council meeting today over an order issued by Mayor Ray Alborn banning firearms from village buildings except for law enforcement. They called the order illegal. Village officials said this ordinance was the result of a July case, when a resident at Village Hall had his gun removed by the police chief. Alborn said he took action as a protective measure. Alborn said the village attorney assures him he has...

There is a lot of Hobbs in Marty and Johnny Cope. The wealthy couple own several businesses and a large home there. They are active in civic and political affairs. A terminal building at the airport is named after Johnny Cope. Marty Cope is the founder of an annual Christmastime fundraiser for foster children. Reared in Hobbs, Johnny Cope first registered to vote in Lea County in 1972; Marty Cope, a native, started voting there in 1998. Yet, on June 23, the Copes transferred their voter registrations to Lincoln County, allowing them to vote in a special election on a...

A New Mexico Game and Fish officer shot a 225 pound bear Wednesday night, after the bear attacked and killed a goat in Ruidoso Downs. A 14 year-old girl stumbled onto the attack as she was trying to feed the family's horses and goats. According to Harv Twite, his daughter saw a bear attacking one of the family's four goats and ran to the home screaming for her dad to call a vet. Once Twite learned the details, he called 911 and proceeded to the corrals armed with a pistol. The bear had again attacked the goat. This time, the...

State Police and Lincoln County emergency management officials say five people are dead and two others are injured after a plane apparently overshot the runway and crashed Thursday morning at the Ruidoso airport in south-central New Mexico. The tail number shows the airplane is registered to Rod Aviation in Granbury, Texas.

<p>Emergency personnel evacuated about 700 people from Ruidoso and Ruidoso Downs early Sunday as the rain-swollen Rio Ruidoso overwhelmed several bridges in town, coursed over roads, damaged homes and stranded dozens of campers in the area.</p>