ROSWELL, N.M. — As wildfires displace thousands in a New Mexico village, a former Allen Countian is working to help with recovery efforts.
Brenda Lee, daughter of Bob and Beverly Johnson of Humboldt, described the devastation caused by three wildfires that have decimated Ruidoso, a resort community with about 8,000 people. Lee lives in Roswell, about an hour and 15 minute drive to the east.
“It really is a sad situation,” Lee said. “Through the years, they’ve had fires but not like this. It’s never been the entire town and surrounding areas.”
Fires have so far burned about 24,000 acres. And while current rainfall appears to be slowing the fires, it has mostly fallen in areas already burned by the fires, leading to flooding and mudslides.
More than 13,000 people have evacuated Ruidoso and areas nearby, including a community near the Ruidoso Downs racetrack. More than 1,400 homes have been destroyed and at least two deaths have been attributed to the fires. Investigators are still working to determine what started the fires, though the region has been exceedingly dry and hot for months.
MANY OF THOSE displaced fled to Roswell, where local churches and organizations are working together to provide resources and housing.
Lee’s husband, Sean, is a pastor at Grace Community Church. She works there as well. The church has opened its parking lot for RVs as well as assembled bags of food and other items to deliver to those in need.
“A lot of them are still in shock,” Lee said of evacuees. “I think right now, they’re just waiting to see when they can go back and see if their house is gone.”
Lee praised the Roswell community, population 47,390, for its coordination of relief efforts. Churches are working together to meet different needs and avoid duplicating services. Hotels are full, and some have set aside rooms specifically for low-income families and the elderly.
“Our focus this week has been the hotels,” Lee said, noting church members take meals and bags filled with snacks to evacuees who are staying in those places. She estimated church volunteers put together about 700 “snack bags” so far. On Wednesday, they focused specifically on snack bags for children.
They’ve helped others as well. Lee told of taking meals to a house that is hosting 30 members of one family.
She also shared a story about two families who came to the church to see what items were available. A child picked up a used toy “that wasn’t that great of a toy but you would think they found a million dollars. They were so excited.”
That’s because most families had only a few minutes to gather their belongings and flee as fire approached. Some were still wearing their pajamas. Many took pets with them, so they have to find a place that will accommodate animals.
“I talked with one lady who was staying in a hotel room with three adults and a dog. She said, ‘I just lost everything,’” Lee recalled.
Because Ruidoso is a resort town, many of those who fled were staying in RVs or owned a “second home” there.
