Ad
A former Journal photographer and I covered the McBride Fire near Ruidoso in the spring of 2022.
It was frantic, constantly changing coverage. Evacuation orders spread across the town at a moment's notice. We reported from one street where families were literally bringing out individual clothing items and other belongings and throwing them on pickup trucks because they had just received a sudden evacuation order.
We reported from a shelter, where people gathered not knowing the state of their homes or pets. I happened to see one woman with a therapy dog and she looked familiar. We got to talking and realized she was my high school English teacher and had just moved to Ruidoso — an unlikely happenstance as I went to high school in Omaha, Nebraska.
Late one night after I had written my story, we got word that the fire had turned deadly — claiming the lives of two people — so we rewrote the story just before deadline.
In the last few summers, to me, the fires have almost blended together. They happen in different parts of the state and have devastated communities.
Reporting on forest fires is important work because many community members are actively consuming all the information that is out there. Weather forecasts, messages from city leaders, fire officials and personal stories of heroism and hardship are all more important than an average reporting cycle.
But it can feel uncomfortable. When I covered a fire in Ruidoso, I would spend all day talking to people who lost everything and faced an uncertain future. Then I would retreat to the Inn of the Mountain Gods and have dinner and write.
Forest fire coverage shouldn't just stop when the farmers are put out.
Our cover story this week is about how businesses and real estate continues to be affected and are rebounding slowly in southeast New Mexico.
We have a collection of stories about fire relief efforts and resources that are available to homeowners and business owners. But they are unlikely to be made entirely whole. Wild West Ski Shop won't be reopening after 76 years in business after the Salt Fire.
Ad
Some businesses and residents were uninsured or underinsured. There are formulas for paying out fire victims who did have insurance, and disputes between New Mexicans and their insurance companies are ongoing. How the company describes the cause of the destruction could affect payments. Other residents are worried about how the fires and subsequent flooding will affect insurance rates.
After the fires and the floods, the business reporting comes. And those stories will continue to be told for years to come.
