From fire to flood: Heavy rains prompt water rescues around Ruidoso

An intense storm brought a new twist Wednesday afternoon to the fire response efforts in Ruidoso: water rescues.

Authorities emphasized the need to seek higher ground and touted the mantra “turn around; don’t drown,” encouraging people and drivers to avoid crossing running water, the strength and danger of which is not always apparent.

Separately, state police confirmed a second person died in the South Fork Fire, a now-16,300-acre blaze that started Monday and swiftly expanded over 24 hours.

Wednesday afternoon, weather officials and local authorities urged people who were in the path of burn scars around Ruidoso to seek higher ground immediately because the risk of flooding was extreme. Burn scars boost the intensity of floods because there’s little vegetation to slow water, and they heighten the risk of mudslides, according to the National Weather Service.

After 5 p.m, the weather service posted on the social media platform X: “Water rescues are ongoing in the Ruidoso area as flood waters surge down the slopes from nearby burn scars.”

Areas expected to be at risk for flash flooding include Ruidoso, Ruidoso Downs, San Patricio, Hondo, Tinnie, Glencoe, Sunset and Hollywood.

Kerry Gladden, spokesperson for the Village of Ruidoso, said the flash flood risk Wednesday afternoon forced crews to temporarily pull back from a number of areas where they were fighting fire over concerns about the crews’ safety. Those included: Upper Canyon, Eagle Drive, Sleepy Hollow, Country Club, Lower Gavilan, Lower Paradise Canyon, Two Rivers and Carrizo Canyon, according to a village post on social media.

“We’re having flooding and mudslides and large debris fields that are washing down from the burn scars,” Gladden said in a phone interview with the Southern New Mexico Journalism Collaborative.

Although Ruidoso and Ruidoso Downs remain under evacuation orders and most people have left the area, an unknown number remained behind, Gladden said. As crews pulled back from the fire lines because of flood risk, “they were evacuating anybody who hadn't heeded the original evacuation orders,” Gladden said.

Gladden said low-lying areas and bridge crossings could be overtaken by the run-off and mudslides.

Second death confirmed

Meanwhile, New Mexico State Police on Wednesday afternoon confirmed a second person died in the South Fork Fire burning in the west and north of Ruidoso.

Around noon, state police officers found a body “located in the driver seat of a burned vehicle on Ranier Road,” according to a statement from the agency.

They’re not able to identify the person now because of the “condition being skeletal remains.” Also, there were no “legible” IDs or documentation found in the vehicle.

The person is the second confirmed death as a result of the fire. From Monday night into Tuesday morning, the South Fork Fire burned homes and businesses in north and west Ruidoso and in Alto just to the north. Patrick Pearson died near the Swiss Chalet Inn, where he’d been living. He was the first confirmed death.

The Swiss Chalet Inn is about 1,800 feet – roughly one-third of a mile – from a segment of Ranier Road, according to Google Maps. However, it’s not clear where on Ranier Road the second victim was found.

Through mid-afternoon, the South Fork Fire had burned a total of about 16,300 acres (up about 1,000 acres from Tuesday). A second fire that also started Monday to the south of Ruidoso, the Salt Fire, reached nearly 7,100 acres (up by about 1,600 acres the day before). Both were still 0% contained.

Tuesday evening, officials announced a much larger number of structures — 1,400 — as damaged or destroyed than an earlier estimate of 500 structures. Some residents who had access to their properties were taking stock of the damages Wednesday and posting about them on social media.

Flash flood emergency

The National Weather Service issued a flash flood emergency for the Ruidoso area that was expected to last until 11:15 p.m. Wednesday.

In addition to the two newest fires, burn scars from the Blue 2 Fire, which started in May, and the McBride Fire of 2022 were considered to be contributors to the flooding risks.

By 6 p.m., storm run-off sparked a 6-foot increase in the height of the Rio Ruidoso, which flows through the heart of the village. The National Weather Service’s Albuquerque office described the sharp leap as “unbelievable.” The increase happened near the Hollywood neighborhood. 

The weather service said between 2 and 4 inches of rain had fallen by 7 p.m.

Early morning, command of the fire response transferred to a multi-agency federal group, the Southwest Area Incident Management Team #5. Officials said this means additional fire crews and equipment will be available to counter the Ruidoso fires.

Rainfall a mixed bag

While rain can bring relief to firefighting efforts, it also can create more difficult conditions, depending on the specific circumstances, said David Shell, public information officer Southwest Area Incident Management Team.

“The thunderstorms, when they collapse, they put out outflow winds,” he said. “They're erratic winds. Those are a danger for firefighters.”

Because of that, crews have to back off the front lines of the fire – pausing the fights against the blazes, Shell said.

“The positive side is you get rain,” he said.

Widespread, heavy rain could have a beneficial impact.

Wednesday morning, more than 250 personnel were helping to fight the fires. But those numbers were increasing throughout the day. Shell didn’t have an estimate as to how many extra personnel had arrived from across the region.

“We’re putting our firefighters between the town and fire,” he said.

The response effort is also using about 15 planes and helicopters. Both water and fire retardant are being dropped on the fires.

Shell encouraged residents to treat the evacuation orders seriously.

“It's a very active fire front, and it's very dangerous,” he said. “With these thunderstorms and outflow winds, they can pick up the fire and make it move quickly.”

For information about the response, residents can call: 575-323-8258.

Cooler days with chances of rain are in the forecast for the rest of the week. Thursday, a 60% chance of rain with a high of 74 degrees is expected, according to the weather service. Friday, the chance of rain increases to 80% and decreases to 30% on Saturday.

Authorities were concerned about the risks for “debris flows,” a type of fast-moving, deadly landslide.

“They are powerful mixtures of mud, rocks, boulders, entire trees - and sometimes, homes or vehicles,” according to the National Weather Service. “You'll often hear 'debris flows' called 'mudslides' or 'mudflows.' Many people use the terms interchangeably, but to scientists, each is a different kind of landslide and debris flows are the most powerful and dangerous of the three.”

The Southern New Mexico Journalism Collaborative is a partnership of local newsrooms working together to cover important topics in the southern half of the state. More info: www.southNMnews.org or www.surNMnoticias.org.