The FBI is offering a monetary reward for information leading to those responsible for the pair of New Mexico wildfires that killed two people in the past week.
Emergency shelters and mass evacuation processes had to be set up after two fires broke out near Ruidoso last Monday, leading to apocalyptic scenes.
By the next morning, 19,000 acres had been burned, along with more than 500 homes and multiple businesses.
As of the morning of Tuesday, June 18, the fire had destroyed over 19,000 acres in the Ruidoso area.
The fires are still at 0% contained.
Over 500 homes have been lost, multiple businesses destroyed and thousands have been displaced.#prayforruidoso
Photos: AP pic.twitter.com/4uCDcAG2la
— KTSM 9 News (@KTSMtv) June 18, 2024
Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham (D) declared a state of disaster in the area on Tuesday and deployed National Guard units, Breitbart News reported.
This morning, I declared a State of Emergency in Lincoln County and the Mescalero Apache Reservation, authorizing additional funding and resources to manage this crisis. #SouthForkFire @VillageRuidoso
Read the full executive order here: https://t.co/4AxDBS4yls pic.twitter.com/u1MENcPLsm— Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham (@GovMLG) June 18, 2024
The entire town of approximately 8,000 people was evacuated, and neither fire was fully contained by Saturday morning, according to the Associated Press.
Mandatory evacuation orders for the entire Village of Ruidoso remain in effect overnight. Highway 70 remains closed from Highway 244 to the east Reservation line. The State Police have closed Carrizo Canyon Road to all traffic.
— Village of Ruidoso (@VillageRuidoso) June 18, 2024
Apocalyptic forest fires are engulfing increasingly large areas in the southern United States
The video shows a forest fire in New Mexico, where the complete mandatory evacuation of the village of Ruidoso, with a population of eight thousand, began yesterday evening. pic.twitter.com/3izKm0pzgG
— S p r i n t e r F a m i l y (@SprinterFamily) June 18, 2024
New Mexico State Police said two bodies were discovered the day after the fires began, according to FOX 10 Phoenix.
The first victim, who remains unidentified, was found inside a burned vehicle. The second has been named as 60-year-old Patrick Pearson, who was reportedly discovered on the side of the road near his home.
“The FBI is offering a reward of up to $10,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person or persons responsible for starting the fires near Ruidoso, New Mexico,” the bureau said in a statement.
The #FBI is offering a reward of up to $10,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person or persons responsible for starting the fires near Ruidoso, New Mexico. The fires were discovered on June 17, 2024: https://t.co/Y8NWh3YeD6 pic.twitter.com/8AMvgGwJvy
— FBI Most Wanted (@FBIMostWanted) June 22, 2024
The FBI’s Albuquerque Field Office said they are working with local, state, federal, and tribal partners in the ongoing investigation of the fires, known as the South Fork Fire and Salt Fire.
“Law enforcement officials are asking for the public’s assistance in identifying the cause of these fires,” officials stated.
President Joe Biden issued a disaster declaration for the southern New Mexico region on Thursday, freeing up funding for more emergency resources.
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