Thousands evacuated in New Mexico after wildfires spark state of emergency

NEWS WIRES

18 June 2024 at 10:03 pm·1-min read

Two wildfires burning out of control in New Mexico forced more than 7,000 people to flee Tuesday from a mountainous region of the southwestern US state, where 500 structures have been damaged or destroyed.

The fires broke out Monday in a rural area about a 90-minute drive from the Mexican border, and have encircled the town of Ruidoso, where residents have been hastily evacuated.

"I strongly urge residents of Ruidoso and the surrounding areas to remain calm and heed official instructions to help minimise risk," Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham said on X, the former Twitter. She declared a state of emergency in the region.

By mid-day Tuesday, the two blazes were zero percent contained, and had scorched some 30 square miles (80 square kilometres) and impacted more than 500 structures, according to New Mexico fire authorities.

The larger South Fork fire grew rapidly and has exhibited "extreme" behaviour and "intense heat," according to the latest bulletin. Authorities fear strong winds could complicate firefighting efforts.

New Mexico has endured years of persistent drought, which scientists say has been aggravated by climate change.

Elsewhere in the American West, California is experiencing its biggest fire of the year. It has burned over 23 square miles since Saturday, although no evacuations have been ordered.

Experts say it could be an indicator of an intense fire season in California, the nation's most populous state, after two wetter-than-average years.

(AFP)

AFP
As ice melts, Everest's 'death zone' gives up its ghosts
On Everest's sacred slopes, climate change is thinning snow and ice, increasingly exposing the bodies of hundreds of mountaineers who died chasing their dream to summit the world's highest mountain.Sherpa said that bringing one body down from close to Lhotse's 8,516 metre peak -- the world's fourth-highest mountain -- had been among the hardest challenges so far.
The Independent
UK Weather: Met Office warns of severe gales and heavy rain as heatwave fizzles out
Heavy rain and strong winds to replace 30C heat
OK! Magazine
Britain's 31C heatwave to end - with wind, rain and GALES on the way, warns BBC star
We've seen the hottest day of the year but Brits can kiss goodbye to temperatures like that... for now
The Bolton News
What happened to the Soham murderer Ian Huntley and where is he now?
The Soham murders rocked the nation in 2002 when school girls Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman went missing.
OK! Magazine
TV star detective's grim 6-word view on Jay Slater case as 'armchair sleuths complicate hunt' for missing teen
Former Met detective and Hunted star Peter Bleksley delivered his verdict on the case - and criticised people with 'zero experience' weighing in on the case...
The Bolton News
What happened to Maxine Carr? The ex-girlfriend of Soham murderer Ian Huntley
Maxine Carr is the former girlfriend of Soham murderer Ian Huntley and was convicted in 2003.
Sky News
Jay Slater's mother gives update and says family want to withdraw money from GoFundMe
Jay Slater's mother has said the family are working with GoFundMe to withdraw some of the £36,000 that has been raised since the teenager disappeared. Ms Duncan, who is on the Spanish island with Mr Slater's father and brother, added that "part of these funds" will also be used to fly out the "loved ones" of the "wonderful people who are by my side" so that "we can support each other during these dark times".
Bournemouth Echo UK
When is the next heatwave in the UK? Met Office and WXCharts predict hot spells
When will the UK next have a heatwave in 2024? The Met Office and WXCharts have predicted it could be as soon as the end of June and start of July.
The Independent
A glimmer of hope for Jay Slater’s family - an Irish tourist who was found after vanishing in Tenerife
Ryan Cooney’s story offers hope to Jay Slater’s family that he could be found alive on the island
The Independent
Jay Slater machete gang attack victim hits out at internet trolls and urges them to help find teenager
The alleged victim told TikTok trolls ‘Have some respect and help find this boy and get him back to his family’
The Independent
Boy, 14, was held down and hacked to death at Wyoming mall while he tried to protect his girlfriend
Dominique Antonio Richard Harris and Jarreth Plunkett, both 15, are accused of murdering 14-year-old Bobby Maher during fatal attack
FTW Outdoors
Watch: Rattlesnakes flee hail storm, return to sip melting ice
Trail cameras captured the rarely observed phenomenon at a rattlesnake rookery Monday in Northern Colorado.
OK! Magazine
This Morning under fire over Jay Slater coverage - as missing teen is 'spotted' in Tenerife
This Morning has been criticised by viewers for its coverage of missing teen Jay Slater – while reports have suggested he's been 'spotted' watching the Euros in Tenerife
Digital Spy
Corrie's Roy to be conned by his loved ones after prison stint
Coronation Street spoilers as Roy Cropper will be conned by his nearest and dearest in new scenes.
The Independent
Family assaulted and tortured with hot butter knives and forks by gang who demanded their money and guns
The victims were duct taped by a group of five or six unidentified suspects
Evening Standard
Just Stop Oil: Six people arrested at east London soup night ahead of 'summer flight disruption'
Some of those in custody are believed to be ‘key organisers’, police say
Evening Standard
OPINION - Keir Starmer crossed a big line when he called Rishi Sunak a liar — he shouldn't have done it
Now, the issue here isn’t the truthfulness or accuracy of Rishi Sunak’s claims about Labour’s tax plans: I quite accept that those claims are, to put it mildly, debatable. There were a hundred circumlocutions you could use: if Sir Keir had spluttered, “that’s not true!” it would have meant exactly the same thing, but would have been entirely unproblematic. Once, scrupulous people would use the word “untruth” in denying the veracity of a statement and this too would lack the terrible force of the word “lie”, which implies a deliberate intention to deceive.
Sky News
Paramedic found dead along with woman had appeared in Channel 4 series 999: On The Frontline
A paramedic found dead along with a woman at a house in Staffordshire had appeared in the Channel 4 show 999: On The Frontline. Police have opened a murder investigation after the bodies of Daniel Duffield, 24, and Lauren Evans, 22, were discovered in a property in Hednesford, Cannock, at around 12.30pm on Tuesday afternoon. Mr Duffield worked for West Midlands Ambulance Service and featured in an episode of 999: On The Frontline which was broadcast in March.
Sky News
Jay Slater: Spanish authorities remain silent on missing teen while online conspiracies reach fever pitch
What was a sprawling operation last week now feels more focused, with a cluster of officers from the Civil Guard telling me they were looking at a particular ravine with a nearby water source. Gesturing to the other side of the uneven terrain, one explained how they needed special equipment to access an area that is difficult to traverse on foot. The changeable conditions we've seen in the Rural de Teno national park over the past week have included not just the high temperatures you'd expect in Tenerife, but also cloud cover, high winds and rain.
Manchester Evening News
British man rescued by police in Jay Slater search says he 'didn't need saving'
Former housing project director and experienced hiker David Larkin said he didn't "want to appear ungrateful" and "thanked them for their concern but I was fine"

Latest stories