I didn't get back to the shed until after 7 am this morning, having got back to the shed at midnight the previous evening.My son-in-law was sent to fight the Donaldson Fire while my oldest daughter remained with the ambulance, and I took care of their children in their absence. But my ability to think clearly or stop these horrible migraines makes it more befitting to say that my grand-children looked after me. I drove all the way back to Alto this morning before realizing that I had forgotten my purse, and had to drive all the way back to Ruidoso Downs to retrieve it. I'm just not handling life very well right now.
I lost a credit card belonging to my boss on Sunday, another of his credit cards on Wednesday and forgot my purse this morning - I am now mentally tempered to run for a government position.
Donaldson Fire:
Evacuation of Alamo Canyon is still in progress by both Lincoln County Sheriff’s Department and fire resources. Residents are being directed to the Hondo School Gym as a shelter and the roping arena for livestock/animals.
The fire grew rapidly during the day due to extremely dry conditions and gusty winds. Around 2 pm this afternoon, the winds picked up dramatically and pushed the fire towards and over the Alamo Canyon Road. Multiple aerial resources assisted ground resources in holding the fire and keeping it south of HWY 70, east of the Forest Service boundary or FS Road 443, west of the Pichaco Road and north of Pine Tree Canyon. With the setting of the sun, the fire is starting to lie down and become less active.A structure group has been established to work from Alamo Canyon to Coe Canyon and monitor the fire situation to keep the residences informed.
Today fire crews used both direct and indirect suppression tactics trying to keep the fire from progressing.
Current Size: 43,290 acres
Summary: The fire is actively burning in steep, rocky, inaccessible terrain in private and Mescalero Apache Tribal lands south of Hondo, NM.
1 Air Attack, 1 Lead Plane, 4 Single Engine Air Tanker (SEAT), 1 heavy Air Tankers and 1Modular Aerial Fire Fighting Support (MAFFS) #7 C-130 worked the fire for most of the day. A Type 2 and Type 3 helicopter will be assisting the fire resources.
Fire Behavior: Extreme fire behavior (running)
Weather: Thursday– Sunny with Temps: 89-94 degrees, Relative Humidity’s 12% and Winds 13-18 with gust to 25 from the southeast with afternoon thunderstorms.
Resources: Resources from the Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, Bureau of Indian Affairs, New Mexico State Forestry, Lincoln County Emergency Services and area volunteer departments responded. Approximately 284 personnel are assigned to the fire.
Structures Threatened: 50 structures threatened and 5 destroyed.
Smoke from the fire may impact the communities of Ruidoso, Ruidoso Downs, Capitan, Lincoln, Hondo, Fort Stanton, Tinnie, San Patricio and other surrounding areas so please take precautions if you have any health or respiratory issues.
Donaldson Complex Fire, Little Lewis Fire Still Burning Near Ruidoso
RUIDOSO - Residents of Alamo Canyon continue to be advised to be cautious of the fire situation in their area and be ready to evacuate if the need arises, according to the Pecos Zone Team that is fighting the Donaldson Complex Fire that broke out early Tuesday morning.Officials ordered precautionary evacuations of the Alamo Canyon area south of Hondo Tuesday night because of the fire.
The Hondo School gym was designated as an emergency shelter for those evacuated.
The fire was threatening five structures, including a primary residence.
The Donaldson Complex Fire is burning about six miles south of Hondo and has burned an estimated 44,000 acres. Accurate mapping will be conducted Wednesday morning.
The Pecos Zone Team reported Wednesday morning that crews went direct with dozers in places that were possible and where burnout operations were deemed necessary to secure the line to existing roads. The fire laid down at the ridge line of Alamo Canyon and has not dropped into the canyon.
The fire has started to heat up this morning but crews are continuing to aggressively fire the fire and aerial resources will be used to assist the firefighters on the ground.
The fire started as two fires, the Camp Fire and the Donaldson Fire, from lightning strikes at about 2 a.m. and merged Tuesday afternoon.
The fire is burning in rugged terrain on the Donaldson, Skeen and Triple A ranches south of Hondo.
In related news, Otero County officials are preparing Sacramento residents for a possible evacuation because of a 150-acre wildfire in Little Lewis Canyon, the Alamogordo Daily News reported Wednesday.
Sheriff Benny House said the U.S. Forest Service and local fire departments are attempting to contain the fire.
"We're looking at keeping citizens out of the path of the fire," House said. "The Forest Service and OCSD deputies have been on scene since the onset. We received the initial call around 12:30 p.m. We originally got the call of a plume of smoke in the Jim Curtis Canyon area. The fire is under investigation at this time."
New Mexico State Forestry officials say the wildfire was caused by lightning and has forced the precautionary evacuations of up to 30 homes near Mayhill.
Authorities say it's burning pine and juniper on private and U.S. Forest Service land about eight miles south of Mayhill.
Crews are aggressively fighting the blaze and say slurry drops have slowed but not stopped the spread of the flames.
The fire has jumped containment lines and threatens about 15 to 30 homes in the area.
An evacuation shelter is being set up at a high school in Cloudcroft for any displaced residents.
A wildfire last month west of Mayhill burned about 29,000 acres before it was contained.
Thomas Montes is right in the middle of Alamo Canyon but when I offered to go with Jan to start transporting animals out she said that he didn't need any help moving horses or livestock out.
I feel as though I have been beaten within an inch of my life. I am so tired of the stress and these migraines. Life, and all the adversity that comes with it is too serious to be left homeless and vulnerable.
Somehow amongst all of the chaos and emergencies I have to be able to get a home on that land and get my life back, and my family restored but I know not how. I never thought it would be so difficult and I ran out of options a long time ago. Going into July 2011 and I am so physically ill and simply terrified.Michael Huckins, Dr.Kenneth Ogilvie , Patricia Ogilvie-Huckins without the return of our stolen building fund I have virtually no chance of obtaining the home we bought and paid for. And I don't know which family member can speak on our behalf. Just like Dorothy McKeever, Dana Dildene and so many other women we have faced horrendous hardship. We have already paid a price no women should be forced to pay... being made homeless and our family shattered. After over 3 years of this torment and cruelty I simply beg for mercy. Please intervene and force Robert Huckins to return what he stole.....so we can have what you have.. a home.
Feeling and longing are the motive forces behind all human endeavor and human creations.~ Albert Einstein
