Helicopters and planes circled the Sacramento Mountains while ash fell on the Capitan High School where weary evacuees made their way into a temporary Red Cross facility.
Katherine White, a resident of Ruidoso seeking refuge, said that she heard from a member of the Bonito Volunteer Fire Department that her neighborhood on the outskirts of the town had been consumed by the fire.
“I kind of knew when I left, because of where I live, because we were [told to] go before Ruidoso and everything. It wasn’t a surprise. But it still kind of gets you," White said.
According to officials, the wildfires combined have burned tens of thousands of acres, and other than hearing from the volunteer firefighter, White said she was frustrated by the lack of information from officials amidst a communications blackout in Capitan.
“We have no information, we have no cell phone service, we have no internet, we have nothing. And nobody comes around [to] tell us anything,” she said. “Because right now we can’t get in touch with our loved ones. Nobody knows. I left a [post] on Facebook before I evacuated, saying I’m fine and I’m evacuating. But that’s been it.”
Stuart Dietz, a disaster program specialist for the American Red Cross, said that the first night of evacuations, roughly 100 evacuees made use of the shelter, and while it’s unclear how many more people will be seeking shelter, his team is preparing for more residents to continue their flow in and out as the blaze continues on the mountain.
“The Red Cross is here, and our mission is to alleviate human pain and suffering any way that we can,” he said. “The community support has been great. They've helped with bringing in extra water, supplies, stuff like that. Anytime something happens, this community does step up.”
Evacuation centers have been set up across Southern New Mexico for victims of the wildfires, including the ENMU branch in Roswell, and the Carrizozo High School. If you or a loved one are in need of assistance, you can find a list of emergency shelters by clicking here.
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