RUIDOSO, NM — Residents of a southern New Mexico village were forced to flee their homes Monday, wasting no time to grab any belongings due to a fast-moving wildfire.
“GO NOW: Do not attempt to gather belongings or secure your home. Evacuate immediately,” officials in Ruidoso, a village of 7,000 people, said on their website and in social media posts around 7 p.m.
The Public Service Company of New Mexico shut off power to part of the village due to the fire, which had spread to at least 2 square miles (5.1 square kilometers) at the time the evacuation was ordered. KOAT-TV reported.
The glow of the fire could be seen Monday night on a webcam in the city center, where the lights were still on.
The South Fork Fire started Monday on the Mescalero Apache Reservation.
The village of Ruidoso is about 75 miles (121 kilometers) west of Roswell, where several evacuation centers have been set up.
An air quality alert has been issued for very unhealthy air in Ruidoso and surrounding areas due to smoke.
This story originally appeared on Time.com read the full story
