(C) El Paso Matters.org This story was originally published by El Paso Matters.org and is unaltered. . . . . . . . . . . How to help: Ruidoso evacuees return to fire aftermath Monday [1] ['Cindy Ramirez', 'More Cindy Ramirez', 'El Paso Matters', '.Wp-Block-Co-Authors-Plus-Coauthors.Is-Layout-Flow', 'Class', 'Wp-Block-Co-Authors-Plus', 'Display Inline', '.Wp-Block-Co-Authors-Plus-Avatar', 'Where Img', 'Height Auto Max-Width'] Date: 2024-06-24 Full-time residents of the Village of Ruidoso who were evacuated from their homes when two devastating fires broke out last week will be allowed to return Monday – a daunting task of seeing the damage up close for the first time. People returning home are likely to find they don’t have power, gas or water due to utility disruptions that continue, and are reminded stores aren’t fully operational so they should take at least a week’s worth of food and drinking water. Only those with proof of residency will be allowed to enter the village, while second home owners and tourists are being asked not to allow full-time residents to assess their damage and emergency responders to continue their work. The Mescalero Apache Tribe has also lifted evacuation orders in some areas, but is open only to residents with proof of residency. Authorities on Sunday said evacuations and closures are transitioning, so residents should continue to monitor updates at lincolncountynm.gov and ruidoso-nm.gov/south-fork-fire. Two deaths have been confirmed and more are expected as Urban Search and Rescue recovery and canine teams move in, officials announced Sunday. Some people remain unaccounted for. As of Sunday, the South Fork fire had burned more than 17,550 acres and was 31% contained; while the Salt fire had destroyed nearly 7,800 acres and was 7% contained. More than 1,100 personnel are responding to the fires. A temporary flight restriction has been placed over the fire areas, including the use of drones, officials said, adding that they’ve had to delay water and retardant airdrops to avoid accidents when unsanctioned drones were in the airspace. The danger is not over, authorities said, as weather and temperature changes can increase fire activity and smoke will linger. As such public access to various roads, trails and forest lands within the Smokey Bear Ranger District are restricted until further notice. Officials asked that the public hold off on donations such as water and supplies for a few days until the current inventory is distributed and there’s room for more. Here are a few ways to help in the recovery efforts with monetary donations: The Community Foundation of Southern New Mexico has set up the Greatest Needs fund to provide immediate and long-term recovery needs of people, animals and places affected by the wildfires. You can also mail checks to 2640 El Paseo Road, Las Cruces, NM 88001. Make checks payable to Community Foundation of Southern New Mexico and include “Impact Fund for Lincoln and Otero Counties” on the memo line. The Paso del Norte Community Foundation in El Paso has set up a Wildfire Relief Fund to support residents and responders in need. This is also in partnership with the community foundations in southern New Mexico and Lincoln County. The Mescalero Apache Tribe has set up a GoFundMe fundraising account to support its emergency response efforts, including two evacuation sites for tribal and non-tribal families. The Humane Society of Lincoln County this weekend started receiving animals who were evacuated to Roswell during the fires and is accepting monetary donations to assist in their care. The shelter is giving returning residents free animal supplies. The FBI and the Bureau of Indian Affairs are asking for the public’s help and offering rewards for information pertaining to the cause of the fires. The FBI is offering a $10,000 reward. You can call 1-800-CALL-FBI or visit tips.fbi.gov with tips. You can also test “BIAMMU” to 847411 then “MESCALERO FIRE + the tip” or just BIAMMU to 847411 and the tip or call in tips to Mescalero Dispatch at 575-464-4511. [END] --- [1] Url: https://elpasomatters.org/2024/06/24/ruidoso-fire-evacuation-order-lifted-residents-return/ Published and (C) by El Paso Matters.org Content appears here under this condition or license: Creative Commons CC BY-ND 4.0 International. via Magical.Fish Gopher News Feeds: gopher://magical.fish/1/feeds/news/elpasomatters/