Ruidoso is ready to welcome tourists again

RUIDOSO, New Mexico (KRQE) – Less than a month after wildfires and floods ravaged the Ruidoso area, the village said it is ready to welcome tourists back to the area. Village officials said crews were able to remove debris from flooding caused by the burns. They said PNM was able to restore power to residents. “We are open for business. All of our businesses are small businesses and they need the support of tourists. They are our lifeline,” said Kerry Gladden, public information officer for the Village of Ruidoso.

Officials said the main road into Upper Canyon is still closed to anyone who is not a resident or business owner for safety reasons. The village is asking tourists to be aware that some residents may not have been able to return yet and that the workforce may be depleted for a while. “Be aware of what this community has been through. Understand that our workforce, we don’t have everybody back because some people haven’t been able to come back. Be patient with our businesses, our restaurants, our lodging. We welcome you, we need you,” Gladden said.

According to the village, most of the damage from the fire was in the western neighborhoods. Many areas toward Ruidoso Downs suffered little to no damage from the fires but were later severely affected by flooding. “You can’t come here and stay and not realize what happened. Even if you don’t look at anything that burned in the fire, you know something happened by the way everybody in town is talking about it and saying, ‘Wow, where were you?’ and all that,” Gladden said.

The fire destroyed nearly 1,600 structures around Ruidoso while fewer than 250 buildings were affected by flooding.