An elderly couple died in their home while trying to put out a wildfire in Ruidoso, New Mexico, which destroyed hundreds of homes and forced thousands to flee the mountain town, local officials said. The couple’s remains were found Thursday in their home and a house burned down northeast of Ruidoso after family members told police they had tried to get out but their whereabouts were unknown, New Mexico State police said in a statement.
First reported deaths
The couple, who were not named, were the first to be reported dead in the McBride Fire area that destroyed 207 homes and burned 5,736 hectares (2,321 hectares) since it began on Tuesday, according to local officials. up to 90 mph (144 kmph), the fire swept through forested ravines, with the Flames surrounding a middle school on three sides Tuesday as teachers and parents evacuated students, according to social media.
The blaze broke out within a few hundred meters of the Ruidoso highway, and half a mile from the district hospital before firefighters were able to stop it on Wednesday. About 5,000 residents left their homes in the town of Sierra Blanca in the 135 Sierra Blanca mountains. miles (217 km) southeast of Albuquerque, according to local officials.
“Firefighters have successfully stopped the fire from continuing in the town of Ruidoso at this time,” Laura Rabon, a spokeswoman for Lincoln National Forest, told reporters. The flames moved northeast on Thursday over uninhabited mountains and ravines. Windstorms were expected to drop to 20 mph, aiding air raids. Another blazing fire 16 kilometers northwest known as the Nogal Fire burned six houses. Like other Westwestern states affected by climate change, New Mexico has begun its season of fire early as flames burst into flames, while a ring of trees. a study in the New Mexico Mountains of Mexico shows that forests have withstood the worst drought for 500 years.
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