The South Fork and Salt fires have burned nearly 40 square miles in south-central New Mexico near Ruidoso and the Mescalero Apache Reservation as of Tuesday, June 25.
Ruidoso residents were allowed to return on Monday, June 24, as 29 people remained unaccounted for, Mayor Lynn Crawford said during a local radio program that day.
The South Fork Fire was 54% contained and the Salt Fire was 38% contained as of June 25, according to New Mexico Fire Information. Over 1,000 personnel are assisting.
The fires began on Monday, June 17, destroying at least 1,400 buildings and killing at least two people, according to Source New Mexico. That Wednesday, New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham called the South Fork Fire “one of the most devastating fires in New Mexico’s history,” according to CBS.
On Saturday, June 22, the FBI announced a reward of up to $10,000 for “information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person or persons responsible for starting the fires,” according to a media alert.
The cause of the fire is listed as “under investigation,” on InciWeb.
Most wildfires are caused by humans, according to the National Interagency Fire Center.
On Thursday, June 20, President Joe Biden approved Lujan Grisham’s request for a Major Disaster Declaration, releasing federal funds to aid fire recovery efforts.
A study published by the University of California Merced found that secondary wildfire exposure in an approximately 3-mile radius around the wildfire caused socioeconomic disruption and emotional trauma.
The Salt Fire and South Fork Fire are not the only wildfires that have burned New Mexico this season. Wildfire season typically runs from early May until June – when monsoon season begins – according to the Western Fire Chiefs Association. In mid-May, the Indios Fire and the Blue 2 Fire burned a total of nearly 30 square miles throughout New Mexico.
Nationwide, wildfires have burned over 3,000 square miles this year — larger than the state of Delaware.
Editor's note: An earlier version of this article incorrectly stated that 14,000 buildings were destroyed in the South Fork and Salt fires. It has been updated to reflect the actual number.
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Addison Fulton is the culture editor for the Daily Lobo. She can be reached at culture@dailylobo.com
