Couple Tells ABC-7 They Had No Warning Before Little Bear Fire Destroyed Everything

The Little Bear Fire in the Lincoln National Forest continues to expand at a rapid rate.

Officials said the fire grew by about 8,500 acres in just 24 hours Monday morning. Officials said the fire seems to be moving in a northeast direction because of winds and the way the terrain runs.

As of Monday, the fire has not touched Ruidoso, though officials said it may be headed toward the village of Capitan.

Eight crews and about 429 people are working to fight the fire. Officials hope crews can stop the fire in its tracks as it moves toward Capitan. Crews have been working to cut down trees and brush to contain it.

Fire information officer David Shell told ABC-7 it’s important for people in the surrounding areas to pay attention to the activity of the fire.

“If you’re in an area close to the fire, you need to keep your ear to the ground. We always advise people to be prepared to evacuate. You can call your own evacuation. You don’t have to wait for the sheriff to make that decision, because, to be honest, the fire could come up on you quickly,” Shell said.

The Red Cross of New Mexico has set up shelters for evacuees in Ruidoso and Capitan, at Ruidoso High School and Trinity Baptist Church, respectively.

Volunteers told ABC-7 they are feeding more people than they are actually providing shelter for because many people are staying with friends and family.

Some evacuees were lucky enough to escape and not have their homes affected by the fire. Others were not so lucky, losing homes, valuable possessions, and even pets or livestock.

Many people have not been able to go back and see the actual damage to their areas since the fire is so active. They told ABC-7 they are relying on what they hear from others.

“At last night’s meeting, they had a map and I could see that my neighborhood was outside the fire perimeter. The incident commander said crews had bulldozed around my neighborhood so my neighborhood is no longer a concern,” said Yvonne Lanelli.

Lanelli was told to evacuate and was able to gather up most of her possessions before going to a friend’s house for shelter.

The Dutchover family was not as fortunate. They told ABC-7 they had just moved into their home near Bonito Lake a few weeks ago. In a matter of minutes, flames brought it and everything around it to the ground.

“Fire was everywhere. It was around us. I could hear popping. There was a tree. It exploded like 1,000 .22 bullets going off at once. It was like boom. And then the house, the cabin started on fire and I could see the big flames starting up on it,” Joe Dutchover said.

Dutchover said he and his wife, Brenda, were just painting the house on Saturday when the flames crept up on them without warning.

“We didn’t have time to prepare. We didn’t have any time. I don’t think they even knew we were in there,” Joe Dutchover said.

“Nobody told us anything that the fire was headed our way. We never saw any sheriff’s deputies headed down our street. They never came to our house,” said Brenda Dutchover.

The couple was forced to grab what they could and run for safety.

“As we were driving out, flames were falling over the top of us, around the car on both sides, the trees were on fire. We were driving through the middle. We could barely see the road,” Joe Dutchover told ABC-7.

Two days later, the couple is left without a home, without many priceless possessions, and without their five dogs who were in the kennels behind their house.

Joe Dutchover said he even tried to go back after getting his wife out to save the dogs, but the flames were overwhelming.

Thinking back on what they went through, the couple said it’s surreal.

“I couldn’t get my mind off the dogs. I just kept crying, thinking, ‘Those poor dogs. Are they OK? Where are they?'” Brenda Dutchover said.

“I kept thinking, ‘Am I going to wake up from this dream? This is a bad dream. I really want to wake up from this dream.’ The morning came and I looked out the window. It was still burning across the mountain, and it was not a dream. It was real,” Joe Dutchover said.

Despite the horrifying ordeal they experienced, the Dutchovers said there is a bright side.

“We made it. We have each other. That’s what matters,” Brenda Dutchover said as she hugged her husband.

The Dutchovers and many other families affected by the fire are receiving help from the Red Cross as well as many local businesses.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture is offering federal financial assistance to families in need. The agency is offering a 504 home loan and grant program for low-income rural residents who own and occupy a home in need of repairs. For low-income homeowners age 62 or older, the agency is offering grants of up to $7,500 to improve or modernize a home. The USDA is also providing loans at a 1 percent interest rate that may be repaid over a 20-year period for low-income homeowners.

For more information on these programs, call USDA Rural Development’s Roswell office at (575) 622-8745 extension 4 during business hours.

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