THE McBride fire in Ruidoso, New Mexico is raging as multiple buildings have been destroyed and four schools are evacuated.
A state of emergency has been declared for the Village of Ruidoso.
Power outages have also been triggered by the blaze, which is now at least 1,000 acres, according to New Mexico Fire Information.
Lincoln National Forest had previously estimated the fire to be 15,000 acres.
More than 150 structures, including homes, have been lost so far, according to the Village of Ruidoso.
Mandatory evacuations are now in place for Moon Mountain, Gavilan Canyon, and Paradise Canyon.
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An evacuation has been ordered for those who live in Eagle Creek, Homestead Acres, Rancho Ruidoso Valley Estates, Old Fort Stanton Road, and Airport Road.
In addition, Ruidoso schools have evacuated students at Sierra Vista School, White Mountain School, Ruidoso Middle School, and Ruidoso High School.
Students have been taken to the Ruidoso Convention Center. An evacuation shelter has also been set up at Carrizozo Schools.
The fire reportedly began on McBride Drive right around 2.30pm local time.
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The cause of the fire has not yet been determined.
PNM tweeted that it has turned off power in the City of Ruidoso due to the fire, which is near a transmission line, affecting more than 18,000 customers.
The town of Clayton is also affected by the shutoff. PNM said power will be restored “as soon as safely possible.”
“Ensuring the safety of first responders and customers is an absolute priority during this fire.”
High winds are also impacting the fire and have knocked out telephone lines, according to KOAT7 News.
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The outlet also reported that the Village of Ruidoso has requested residents conserve water while crews continue to fight the blaze.
Representative Melanie Stansbury tweeted: “New Mexico, a Red Flag Warning is in effect—take extra precautions and cancel planned burns.”
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