New Mexico wildfire kills two

The McBride Fire started Tuesday when strong winds toppled a power line in southern New Mexico. It has since burned more than 200 homes and killed an elderly couple, state authorities said. The couple was found near their home after they tried to evacuate but their family couldn’t find them. About 5,000 people have fled Ruidoso, a town near the blaze, and school is canceled until Tuesday. Some students were evacuated by bus Thursday.

What’s the damage? An estimated 9 square miles of forest and grass are torched, and the strong winds that battered the area have left behind toppled trees and downed power lines. The dry, windy conditions are fueling the flames. The eastern third of New Mexico and parts of the Midwest were still under alert Friday as zero percent of the fire had been contained. 

Dig deeper: Read Daniel James Devine’s article in Beginnings about forest services working on a new strategy for fire prevention.