Prayers for Ruidoso, NM

[Bill in Oregon]

Wildfire has been Ruidoso's worst nightmare since forever, surrounded as it is by the undermanaged ponderosa pine forests of the Sacramento Mountains. The fuel loads up there are unbelievable, and many of the springs and even streams that once flowed in the region have long since dried up. Now come two dangerous fires that started on the Mescalero Reservation burning toward the village with no containment, and everyone has been ordered out of Ruidiso, Ruidoso Downs and even most of Alto. Mandatory, and the only way out is east toward Roswell. I have spent a lot of time in Ruidoso, enjoying the town, the cool mountain air, and even helping excavate an extensive and important Puebloan archaeological site across from White Mountain Elementary, where elk sometimes graze on the playgrounds.
It could all be gone in the next couple of days. My heart is sick.

https://www.ruidoso-nm.gov/news-info/nm ... njn9-wdlkw

[GunnyMack]

My grandmother lived near south lake Tahoe. About every 4 years the surrounding area would burn. Thankfully my uncle who worked for Alpine County would bring a D9 each spring and cut a fire break along the property, down along the neighbors as well.
A little preemptive work goes a long way, not even a concern but still scary thing to live with.

[JimT]

Thanks for the Heads Up, Bill. I have a friend who lives there and have spent time there, really enjoying it. Prayers up!

[Grizz]

Prayers UP for all the people. It is heart-breaking . . .

[gamekeeper]

Prayers sent to all affected by the wildfire and the safety of the firefighters.

[jeepnik]

Fire breaks are good. But when fuel loads, dry conditions and worst of all high winds they can be like spitting in the wind.

A few years back the town of Paradise burned. Some folks didn’t make it out. The conditions were such that it was humanly impossible to stop the fires spread.

I pray New Mexico won’t suffer the same fate. But honestly it is often simply in God’s hands.

[Walt]

I lived in that area many years ago (Fort Stanton; God's Country), went to school in Capitan (Class of 68) and get down there frequently enough to visit old friends that I'm familiar with their predicament. It's not looking good.

[Bill in Oregon]

Walt, I hope they can stop the run at Alto and that it spares Fort Stanton. The fort is having its annual celebration July 13th, if it doesn't get canceled by this catastrophe.

[Walt]

Bill, I doubt there are sufficient consumables in the immediate vicinity of Ft Stanton to pose danger (except for those golden, waving grasslands) and the majority of the trees in the Rio Bonito valley are deciduous. Still, the buildings themselves would burn like a 4 month old Christmas tree if ignited.

There is some hope for precipitation by the end of the week....got my fingers crossed.

I assume you were stationed at either Holloman AFB or Ft Bliss. Which was it, Army or Air Force?

[Bill in Oregon]

Walt, no military service except a couple of terms of Army ROTC in college. But I lived in Alamogordo for five years. My ancestors left Buffalo Gap TX in 1883 for La Luz, and homesteaded in the mountains. Wayland Canyon just west of Sacramento in the Lincoln National Forest is named for them. You, know, I tried fly fishing in the Rio Bonito a couple of times but never got a hit. Wondered if the trout are there some years, gone others due to the lack of snowfall on Sierra Blanca. But then I have an old resource on fishing New Mexico that describes fishing for the brook trout in the Sacramento River!

[Walt]

Bill, I know there were trout upstream of Fort Stanton but I believe they were mostly stockers. I don't know whether they originated from Bonito Lake or if they were introduced below the dam. There was a place about 4 miles upstream of Ft Stanton where we as kids spent a lot of time in the summer. We called it The Gorge and sadly, the last time I was there a couple of years ago, the land surrounding the gorge is now private property and is fenced. It used to be that one could drive through Ft Stanton paralleling the creek and reach that area but now, because of the detention facility it's only accessible from the paved road between the airport and Ruidoso. Near the gorge is the ruin of a brewery built by Murphy of the infamous Murphy Dolan duo to provide beer to the soldiers stationed at Ft Stanton. They had contracts with the army to provide all manner of provisions (beef, grain, etc.) and maintained a suttler's store near the fort.

DSCN1421.JPG

the gorge

IMG_2096.JPG

suttler's store

[Bill in Oregon]

Walt, I have been to the ruins of the brewery and the brothel next door. I believe our Lord God averted his eyes (and probably smiled, because he loves us) when the young recruits with their first pay crossed over the western fort boundary, had their first drunk, and lost their innocence, all within about 100 feet of adobe.
Someone I revere has taught me to see God in this way, as shaking his head and just loving us, regardless.

[samsi]

Looking at Inciweb yesterday and this morning the fire has spread another 25% in the last day. They were getting some rain yesterday, hope it helped.

[Grizz]

Looking at Inciweb yesterday and this morning the fire has spread another 25% in the last day. They were getting some rain yesterday, hope it helped.

THANKS for the Inciweb tip. Outstanding route planning tool.

https://inciweb.wildfire.gov/

grizz

[black river smith]

Could someone please explain, for this stupid old person, what is meant by the term... "The fuel loads up there"?
I could make a wild guess but that would only make me stupider, than to admit, I never heard this term or phrase before. Only lived in the suburbs of a City my entire years.

Thanks!

I do hate to hear about all the 'supposed Wildfire' (I do not believe everyone is natural) that the Western part of this Nation goes through during the summers and falls. Unfortunately, I have never witnessed the destruction or aftermath of one of these fires. Only in a smaller size area in the outskirts of the country side.

[GunnyMack]

Trees, dead or alive, grasses, shrubbery, homes, buildings is all fuel load.
The pine beetles( not sure if they got to NM) drill holes into trees, lay eggs and then when the hatch eat the trees killing them is an example.
Get green trees hot enough they will burn.
Lightning strikes? Arson? Not sure how this fire started but fireworks are to blame a lot it seems.
If its arson and they get caught it should be DEATH PENALTY, whether it's a single family home, forest, warehouse that person should be removed from the planet.

[Walt]

Oh, you can bet there are bark beetles in New Mexico. They chew their way around the trunk of the tree under the bark and effectively starve any portion of the tree above the lines of their path. In the 28 years we have lived here I have had to cut several hundred trees down that were killed by bark beetles. In times of drought the trees do not produce enough sap to keep the beetles pushed out.

[black river smith]

Thanks for the responses to my questioning. That is what I had assumed was meant but just making certain.

[1894cfan]

Any recent reports on the South Fork and Salt fire???

[Walt]

Yesterday morning the larger of the two fires at about 18K acres was 32% contained and the smaller, estimated at about 8K acres was only 7% contained. Most full-time Ruidoso residents were allowed back to their homes over the weekend but there was no electricity and people were encouraged to bring their own water since the municipal system is likely contaminated.

[1894cfan]

Thanks, Walt.