NEW MEXICO (KRQE) – Village of Ruidoso officials confirmed Thursday evening that all residents listed as missing have been accounted for. During Thursday’s community meeting, a FEMA official stated they did not find any human remains after searching around 1,300 damaged structures.
According to Fire Chief Ernie Rhodes with FEMA Urban Search and Rescue (USAR), the secondary search for missing people started on Saturday, June 22 at 4 p.m. The team of 157 searched a total of 1,300 damaged structures. They also used 20 K-9s trained to find human remains.
The South Fork Fire started on June 17 and has burned 17,596 acres. As of June 27, it’s 69% contained. The Salt Fire, south of Ruidoso, also started on June 17. As of June 27, that fire has burned 7,939 acres and is 66% contained.
