EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) — The State Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management (DHSEM) now offers full-service debris removal at no cost to private property owners. Any resident who was impacted by the South Fork fire, Salt fire, or flooding in Lincoln County is eligible for this program. If residents receive funding from their
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EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) — As Flash flooding continues through Rio Ruidoso with potential impacts to the Midtown district, Ruidoso Office of Emergency Management has issued an immediate evacuation. The El Paso Fire Department Water Rescue Team has been deployed to Ruidoso to assist with the severe flooding. “Our team is working tirelessly to ensure
Continue Reading RUIDOSO, New Mexico (KVIA) – The Ruidoso Office of Emergency Management issued evacuation order for those near Rio Ruidoso. Authorities are asking residents to move to higher ground immediately. The Village of Ruidoso has set up a shelter at White Mountain Relief Center, 687 Hull Road. The Village of Ruidoso is making sand bags available
Continue Reading RUIDOSO, New Mexico (KVIA) – Village of Ruidoso posted flooding is ongoing in Rio Ruidoso which runs right next to Ruidoso Downs Racetrack. Water started flowing onto the racetrack according to a spectator and racetrack crews were seen trying to keep the track from flooding. The last two scheduled races for Saturday were cancelled. No
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RUIDOSO, New Mexico (KVIA) — Ruidoso residents living in the Upper Canyon Area and near the Rio Ruidoso are being urged by village officials to evacuate due to flooding that’s being called “life threatening.” The Village of Ruidoso posted the evacuation notice on their Facebook page just before 4 p.m. It says the Upper Canyon
Continue Reading RUIDOSO, New Mexico (KVIA) — The Village of Ruidoso says all areas are open as of 4:15 PM today. All remaining exclusion zones and no entry zones are now lifted and open, according to village officials. There is still low water pressure to houses in the Upper Canyon neighborhood. There are also still a strong
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RUIDOSO DOWNS, New Mexico (KVIA) — The 2024 race schedule has resumed at Ruidoso Downs Racetrack and Casino with the Rainbow Futurity Trials on Friday. With the nearby Salt and South Fork fires above 70 percent containment and main roads cleared and open Rick Baugh, general manager at the racetrack, says that race operations must
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RUIDOSO, New Mexico (KVIA) — The Village of Ruidoso is sharing video of homes destroyed by the wildfires. Watch the video, posted to Facebook today, here: According to the latest numbers released by officials, the South Fork Fire is now 17,569 acres and 69% contained, and the Salt Fire is now 7,939 acres and 66%
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Ruidoso, NM (KVIA) — The road to recovery for people who’ve lost their homes in the wildfires in Ruidoso and the surrounding area will take months, if not years. Insurance claims are already in motion, but, property owners whose homes did survive the wildfire still have more worries: mudslides and flash flooding. As we’ve documented
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Ruidoso, NM (KVIA) — Most businesses in the Ruidoso, New Mexico area were forced to shut down for at least a week after a mandatory evacuation order hit the village last week. However, “Downshift Brewing Company” kept its doors open to first responders and others who remained in the village, even as the South Fork
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Update: Village of Ruidoso officials confirm to ABC-7 that no one is unaccounted for now. Update: Village of Ruidoso officials have updated the number of unaccounted for people to 11. Update: The mayor of Ruidoso says there are 29 people unaccounted for right now. ABC-7 is working to learn more. RUIDOSO, NM (KVIA) — As
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RUIDOSO, NM (KVIA) — Many Ruidoso homeowners are now facing the harsh reality of significant property loss and understanding the insurance claims process is crucial for those affected. Local insurance agent, Ernesto Gonzalez spoke to ABC-7 and emphasized the importance of filing insurance claims as quickly as possible. He says this is the primary step
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RUIDOSO, NM (KVIA) — Downshift Breweries Company is located in the heart of the Village of Ruidoso. One of the owners, James Rupley, is a proud native of El Paso and a graduate of Eastwood High School. His business has remained partially open over the last week to help service first responders and others in this
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RUIDOSO, NM (KVIA) — Scores of business owners have lost thousands of dollars since the Wildfires began in the region in and around Ruidoso. Michael Free, owner of “Free Designs”, along Highway 70 in Ruidoso, has been cutting his wooden art that reflects elements of the forest for decades. However, he’s literally gone a week without
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RUIDOSO, N.M (KVIA) — Permanent Ruidoso residents were able to come back into the Village on Monday. ABC-7 crews saw long lines of vehicles waiting to be allowed in by New Mexico state law enforcement. Most of the residents were worried and concerned because they didn’t know what they would see when they got back
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Ruidoso, NM (KVIA) – Employees at Anaheim Jacks restaurant on Ruidoso’s main business strip have worked diligently for the last week to serve first responders and others who are in the region battling the South Fork Fire, which burned down a number of businesses in the village. “The stores were closed, they couldn’t get food,
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RUIDOSO, NM (KVIA) – “We’re home baby,” said Mimi Davis to her doggie Leela as she arrived back to her Ruidoso cabin for the first time since being forced to evacuate over a week ago. The longtime El Paso soccer coach moved to Ruidoso after retiring, and feels fortunate that her home survived the wildfires.
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RUIDOSO, NM (KVIA) — As residents of Ruidoso begin returning to their homes today, New Mexico officials have announced that Federal Aid Disaster aid is now available to those impacted by the wildfires. Applications for FEMA can be completed online at www.disasterassistance.gov or by calling the FEMA application helpline at 800-621-3362. A FEMA spokesperson says
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RUIDOSO (New Mexico) — The Village of Ruidoso announced over the weekend that they will allow local, full-time residents back into town Monday morning. ABC-7 made the trip to Ruidoso again and noticed that some of the roadblocks that were set up last week are now open for local and nearby residents. Ruidoso Downs is
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Editor’s Note: A previous version of this story stated the mayor said three people had died. The Ruidoso mayor corrected the number to two. Update: The Village of Ruidoso updated their post on social media that originally confirmed two people had died from the fires. They now say the number of confirmed deaths remains at
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UPDATE (4:53 PM, June 23, 2024): Leaders advise residents returning to their homes, that there are “No entry/Exclusion zones” that residents will not be able to access. These areas are currently considered crime scenes with recovery efforts underway. The Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) K-9 strike teams are investigated and will clear those areas in
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RUIDOSO, New Mexico (KVIA) – The South Fork Fire is now at 17,551 acres burned and 31% contained, according to the National Interagency Fire Center. Meanwhile, the Salt Fire grew to 7,775 acres and remains at 7% contained. More than 1,000 personnel are helping contain the fire. Saturday afternoon members from the Texas Division of
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EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) – The Albuquerque Field Office of the FBI is investigating the wildfires that have burned an estimated 24,266 acres. The FBI is offering a reward for any information that leads to an arrest. New Mexico law enforcement agencies and tribal partners are being assisted by the FBI in their investigation into
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Update: Local, full-time residents of Ranches of Sonterra 1, 2, and 3, Rancho Ruidoso Valley Estates, and Enchanted Forest will be allowed to return Saturday at 5 p.m., Lincoln County authorities said. On Sunday at 8 a.m. evacuation status for Ruidoso Downs, Ruidoso Downs to El Valley Loop subdivisions, Sierra Vista, Sun Valley, and Villa
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MESCALERO APACHE RESERVATION, New Mexico (KVIA) — The wildfires near Ruidoso have devastated the lands that are native to the Mescalero Apache Tribe. Some tribal members have had to flee to shelters in Alamogordo to seek refuge. One woman opened up to ABC-7 anchor Paul Cicala about the hardships of being displaced from home, and
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RUIDOSO, NM (KVIA) — Former KVIA employee Eric Huseby is dealing with the loss of his cabin in Ruidoso, after the South Fork Fire swept through. “I was just kind of numb,” said Huseby, as he described what went through his head the moment he learned his cabin was burned down. Huseby says, even though
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RUIDOSO (New Mexico) — Phone and internet reception has been an issue in and around Ruidoso in recent days as wildfires continue to rage nearby. Most of Ruidoso’s surrounding areas have poor connectivity for those seeking to communicate with their family or get status updates on both the South Fork Fire and Salt Fire. People
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EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) – When a wildfire burns, like the Salt and South Fork fires near Ruidoso, NM, we see the response by fire crews on the ground and in the sky. But how does that response come together? Who helps coordinate that response? What happens when the fires are eventually contained and residents
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EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) — While wildfires in Ruidoso continuing destroying the village, several families are now being displaced and forced to find shelter in surrounding areas. Operation H.O.P.E. along with the El Paso Hotel Association are now offering temporary lodging for evacuees of the Ruidoso Fire. Hotels will be available at no charge. Co-founder
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RUIDOSO, New Mexico (KVIA) — Wednesday’s rains in Ruidoso caused flooding that took out trees, power lines and even a trailer park in Ruidoso Downs. Officials said within a little over 30 minutes, the area got about 15 hundredths of an inch of rain. While that may not sound like a lot, officials said it
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