Ouch not good on many fronts, first for the locals effected by it and first responders fighting the fire.
Then there are folks like me that are about to head that way. with friends, golfing and everything else we can get into.

Locals reporting arson

Oh no! The wife's boss has a vacation home there.......

Fire in those pines is hard to control. They burn so dang fast, especially the dead ones.

I think this is up by the school and lynx golf course. Looks devastating.

Yelp it’s all that southern pinion country.

One earlier this year at alto was in the old burn and it actually needed a good burn to knock out dead fall.


This ain’t good

Nein gut! Prayers up.

Cue the climate change propaganda.

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-new...-village-fast-moving-wildfire-rcna157651

Evacuations ordered in New Mexico village after fast-moving wildfire grows rapidly
Residents of Ruidoso were told to immediately leave because of the South Fork Fire, which was discovered Monday morning west of the town.


Residents in the New Mexico village of Ruidoso were told to immediately flee Monday because of a wildfire that was discovered west of town that morning and grew to more than 5,000 acres by the end of the day, officials said.

“Immediate mandatory 'go' evacuation for the Village of Ruidoso — go now!!” the village government said on its Facebook page in all capital letters shortly before 7 p.m.

The South Fork Fire was discovered at around 9 a.m. Monday on the Mescalero Reservation west of the village of more than 7,000, and by 11:30 p.m. it had grown to an estimated 5,252 acres, the New Mexico Forestry Division said.

Praying for everyone in the Ruidoso area.

Praying they can get this under control quickly. Tons of memories from Spring Break trips while at Tech.

My grandparents used to live there and we spent a lot of weekends up there. My parents went recently and said they wouldn't go back. Covid took a toll on that place and they said nothing but weed shops now. They were in the casino on a Saturday night and said you could literally count the number of people in there on two hands. Sad.

Doesn't Dogcatcher live there? Or did he move back to Abilene?

Hadn't seen your post, Snakewrangler. This has been Ruidoso and Cloudcroft's nightmare since forever. Ponderosa itself has evolved thick bark to give it a chance to survive slow-burning ground fires, but once the fire crowns, all bets are off. And there is just so much fuel in the Sacramentos, while so many of the springs and rivers have dried up with the lingering drought. It's a recipe for total Old Testament destruction. They have even ordered Alto to evacuate. I hope it doesn't get all the way to Fort Stanton.
There will be many heavy hearts in the motels around Roswell and Artesia tonight.

Wow, I hate seeing this. Prayers for all of them.

Evacuating towns like that is crazy.

went to the horse races a few times back when I was working on the ft. stockton prison, cool little town.

I hope it was lightning and not arson like they think it may be.

We have a cabin there. As of the last fire map the fire is almost in the backyard of the house across the street. Ironically he is a retired lieutenant from the Ruidoso FD.

Did work in Ruidoso and The Downs for the phone co. back in the early 80’s. More Texas license plates than New Mexico tags in the summer back then.

Hope everyone stays safe and they can get ahold of the fires quickly.