5,000 under evacuation orders as New Mexico wildfire rages

UNDATED (AP) — Evacuation orders for close to 5,000 people are still in place as firefighters battle a deadly blaze in New Mexico. The wind-fueled wildfire has ripped through the mountain community of Ruidoso. The flames have destroyed more than 200 homes and killed two people since the wildfire broke out Tuesday (April 12, 2022). Authorities said they suspect the fire was sparked by a downed power line. Elsewhere in the U.S., crews have been battling large fires this week in Texas, Oklahoma and Colorado, where a new blaze forced evacuations Friday along the Rocky Mountain’s eastern front near Lyons about 18 miles north of Boulder.