A thunderstorm moving toward the smoky skies over New Mexico could force firefighters to withdraw from their positions on the front lines of a deadly wildfire, fire officials said Thursday.
But it could also have the opposite effect and promote fighting, depending on how much rain falls, they said.
The wildfire, a combination of two fires that have merged since Monday’s ignition, has burned 23,406 acres near the mountain town of Ruidoso with 0% containment, according to the latest estimates from New Mexico Fire Information.
The fire killed two people and destroyed 500 homes and about 1,400 structures, the governor said. Michelle Lujan Grisham said. About 8,000 people living in the area have been ordered to evacuate.
One of the two dead was identified as 60-year-old Patrick Pearson, who was found with burns on the side of a road near the Swiss Chalet Motel, New Mexico State Police said. The name of the other victim has not been released.
Officials said they were unsure whether the storm expected to clear on Thursday would improve the situation for the 824 firefighters and support staff on the front lines.
Heavy rain could extinguish the fire and help firefighters slow its destructive path, said Dave Shell, public information officer for the incident management team overseeing the blaze.
But it could also create wind patterns that could push the fire in different directions, forcing crews to retreat, he said.
“It all depends on where the storm dumps the rain,” says Shell. “It’s a double-edged sword.”
The coming storm is not related to the recent flooding that hit the area, said Andrew Mangham, a senior hydrologist with the National Weather Service in Albuquerque. But some of the moisture could be remnants of Alberto, which weakened from a tropical storm to a depression and was expected to make landfall on Mexico’s Gulf Coast on Thursday.
According to the National Weather Service, the storm is expected to hit Ruidoso between 3 p.m. and midnight Thursday with southeast winds of 6 to 15 mph. A flood watch is also in effect through Saturday morning due to possible debris flows.
Since the fires started Monday, firefighters have been working to build a fire line between the city and the city, officials said.
This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
