By Staff Writer: Caitlin Daugherty
Photo Credit: Caitlin Daugherty; Ruidoso New Mexico, South Fork Fire over the mountains, June 17
As the climate crisis continues to grow across the world, the Southwestern area of the United States has felt the brunt of these effects. With extreme dry weather causing massive wildfires that destroy hundreds of thousands of acres each year, the people living in these communities have to contend with the horrifying reality that every year they risk losing their homes, and in some cases, their lives.
In the summer of 2024, two massive wildfires were started almost simultaneously in the Ruidoso and Ruidoso Downs areas of New Mexico. The first wildfire known as the South Fork fire was started by a lightning strike on June 17 and raged along with the Salt fire for weeks. As many as 800 homes were destroyed by this event, and even more were destroyed in the coming weeks as uninhibited floods caused by the yearly monsoon season wiped out houses and businesses within Ruidoso.
Evacuations were lifted on June 24, but the community is still shaken from these events. With many homes gone, and two people confirmed deceased, Ruidoso has yet to fully recover from the devastation of the Salt and South Fork fires.
These wildfires and floods are just the beginning of the natural disaster crisis in New Mexico. The scars of these events can be seen throughout the state, especially in the Ruidoso area, and even the Little Bear fire which happened a decade ago, can still be recognized with its lasting effects on the environment with the sheer amount of burnt trees still dotting the landscape.