As residents return to Ruidoso after fires, most still barred from accessing their homes

The planned grand return of residents to Ruidoso after weeklong wildfire evacuations was largely derailed by numerous roadblocks and closures and a seeming disconnect between law enforcement and other officials on the ground.

All of the areas around Ruidoso within the burn scar, near Cedar Creek, Eagle Creek and along Highway 48, were blocked by Ruidoso police cruisers and other law enforcement vehicles. Only residents whose homes were not impacted by the blazes were allowed to access their properties Monday, June 24.

Long lines of cars could be seen backed up at various roadblocks, only to be turned away.

A handful of shoppers were found at the Walmart in Ruidoso Downs, where employees were busy restocking depleted shelves. Among them was resident Ron Link, who returned to his house Sunday night after a hasty evacuation last week.

"I'm trying to get information and I'm having a hard time finding out what's open and what's not," he said. "There's just not a lot of people to talk to."

Though Link's home was spared, he said he had spoken with many Ruidoso residents who were not returning Monday due to contaminated water. Officials reported during a briefing Sunday that all four of the village's water sources had been flooded and overwhelmed with debris.

Residents seeking to return to their homes outside the fire areas are being asked to bring a week's supply of bottled water and food.

Ruidoso Downs Police Chief Joe Commander was at the grocery store pushing a shopping cart full of bottled water.

Commander said his town was in "really good shape" and had largely been unaffected by the fires.

"Hopefully, we'll get back to a normal state," he said.

Inside milling between the half-stocked shelves was Virgil Watson, a Red Cross volunteer from Kansas. He said nearly 200 people were still sheltering in Roswell and mobile feeding units would begin arriving in Ruidoso around lunchtime.

"I can't imagine losing everything, because I've never lost everything," Watson said. "Most of these people just want someone to talk to, just some support, and that's what we're here to do."

There is currently no timeline for when residents whose homes may have been damaged or destroyed might be allowed back into their neighborhoods.

Law enforcement is currently treating the area as a crime scene while search-and-rescue teams continue to comb the area for survivors or remains.

In Ruidoso, Les Feldser was attempting to reach his home in Alpine, which he said was destroyed in the fires, but was rebuffed by law enforcement at a roadblock on Highway 48.

"I've got nothing left but what's on my back and what's in my wallet," he said, noting that even his cellphone was lost in the inferno.

This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: No timeline for when residents can return to Ruidoso fire zones