Cross posted from the racing forum
For those who haven’t seen it, Ruidoso and Ruidoso Downs, New Mexico have been under the threat of massive fires since Monday, June 17th. Several intentionally set fires (allegedly, suspects in custody) erupted into a 2 prong blaze that destroyed some 1400 structures and killed at least 2 people. The Downs were notified of a mandatory evacuation late on Tuesday afternoon, after one of the fires turned toward the racetrack. Between Tuesday afternoon and Thursday morning, some 6000 of the 7500 horses at the track were evacuated, thanks to the efforts of both professional and volunteer haulers. People showed up with everything from 2 horse to stock trailers, to big rigs to get the horses out. They were evacuated to Sunland Park and Frontera facilities in El Paso, as well as Expo New Mexico in Albuquerque. Many went to private facilities, fairgrounds, and livestock venues across southern New Mexico. Luckily the fire has thus far spared the track and the town of Ruidoso Downs, and the remaining horses are safe. There have been good rains (which caused some flash flooding in the burn zones) over the last 2 days, with high humidity which have helped the 1000+ fire fighters get a little ahead. Please spare a few positive thoughts and prayers for everyone in the Ruidoso community and most especially, for those fighting the fires.
