Two dead in forest fires in New Mexico, 500 homes destroyed

(Reuters) – Two people have died in wildfires in southern New Mexico. Around 500 houses were destroyed and around 8,000 residents of the mountain resort of Ruidoso had to be evacuated.

The unidentified skeletal remains of a person were found in the driver’s seat of a burned-out car, New Mexico State Police reported Wednesday. Another victim was identified as 60-year-old Patrick Pearson.

Governor of New Mexico Michelle Lujan Grisham told reporters that about 500 homes were believed to be among the more than 1,400 structures leveled by the two fires, making it one of the most devastating wildfires in state history.

The forest area, about 135 miles southeast of Albuquerque, New Mexico’s largest city, has been affected by a series of wildfires, including one that killed two people in 2022.

Lujan Grisham on Wednesday called on President Joe Biden to declare a disaster for the South Fork and Salt fires, which have burned more than 23,000 acres (9,308 hectares) north and south of Ruidoso.

New Mexico has been experiencing drought for decades, making wildfires more destructive and spreading faster.

In 2022, the state suffered the largest fire in the Americas, burning over 341,000 acres (138,000 hectares).

(Reporting by Andrew Hay, editing by Miral Fahmy)