NEW MEXICO (KRQE) – The damage left by wildfires in and around Ruidoso have reshaped the area for years to come. Now facing millions of dollars in repairs, the state is also trying to work toward preventing another destructive wildfire in the area. Lawmakers spent hours talking about the Salt and South Fork Fires Tuesday morning and said the Ruidoso area is still at risk of losing much more if they don’t keep working toward more safeguards.
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“We only have half of our town left, and if we don’t take care of it, Mother Nature will,” said Senator Pat Woods, Curry County (R).
That was the warning from New Mexico lawmakers on Tuesday, weeks after the Salt and South Fork Wildfires torched areas around Ruidoso this summer. Lawmakers called on state and federal leaders to keep working toward recovery and fire mitigation.
The two wildfires burnt more than 25,000 acres of property around Ruidoso and that damage has been followed by weeks of destructive flash flooding. Tuesday, lawmakers agreed the level of damage shows more prevention efforts were needed. Experts suggest revamping damaged water sheds located in nearby tribal communities to help prevent flooding, while also increasing fire safety education programs for homeowners around Ruidoso.
“Increasing the resilience of the structure by building new homes and retrofitting existing homes with more wildfire resilient building materials,” said Steve Hawks, Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety.
Some lawmakers criticized FEMA saying the federal assistance money was too slow for the impacted communities. New Mexico’s Homeland Security leaders called the delays “unfortunate,” but part of the process, while also adding that other efforts are happening now to prepare for next year’s wildfire season.
“DHS team is working currently right now with a hydrologist, so we can start developing peak model flows and watershed runoffs, so we know exactly where hard-hitting areas are,” said Ali Rye, Deputy Secretary for the Department of Homeland and Security and Emergency Response.
Other issues discussed Tuesday include electricity and communication needs during and post fires. They pointed out that after the Salt and South Fork fires, Ruidoso was without its main forms of communication and power for over a week. Lawmakers also heard from the Ruidoso Downs Racetrack which said it’s working with the Army Corps of Engineers this week to see what fixes could be put in place to protect the racetrack from future flooding.
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