New Mexico
Ruidoso fire and flooding victims frustrated with FEMA
It’s been over three months since the South Fork and Salt Fires devastated Ruidoso and the surrounding areas, causing more than $29 million in damage, and victims are frustrated with the federal government’s response.
RUIDOSO, N.M. – It’s been over three months since the South Fork and Salt Fires devastated Ruidoso area, causing more than $29 million in damage.
Since then, the community has also faced flood after flood. Luckily, they’ve gotten a break from Mother Nature, but they’re still picking up the pieces.
KOB 4 spoke to FEMA officials about how they’ve helped some fire and flooding victims. But there are residents who say they’ve been having trouble getting that help.
“It has been a nightmare. I’m telling you because I’ve gone over there like 21 times, and they haven’t responded,” said Priscilla Aguilar, a wildfire evacuee.
Aguilar and Abel Montelongo are trying to get their money back. They had to leave Ruidoso Downs because of the South Fork and Salt Fires.
According to Montelongo, FEMA was supposed to help with those costs. However, after trying to track them down several times, he never got his money back. He did get $291 in food stamps/EBT money.
But it was flooding, not the fires, that impacted Aguilar and Montelongo’s home.
“Since the rain and the water is coming into the yard and getting under the house, it’s going to ruin all the piping,” Aguilar said.
Aguilar says they didn’t get the sandbags that officials promised them. At this point, they just want answers.
“At least they should have sent us a letter saying, ‘We’re not going to help you.’ Because that’s a promise that they made, not just to us, but to the whole community,” Aguilar said.
They applied for flooding insurance after FEMA mentioned an exception with the National Flooding Insurance Program might expedite the process.
“Normally, when you buy a brand-new flood insurance policy, there is a 30-day waiting period,” said Roberto Ramirez, a director of FEMA’s hazard mitigation branch. “If you are in a post-wildfire situation, like we are in Ruidoso, those 30 days can change to one day.”
There are different qualifications. For example:
- If the fire happened on federal land
- If you bought a flooding insurance policy within 60 days of the fire being fully contained
- If the flooding results from, or was made worse by, a wildfire
“We’re still within at least those 60 days from fire containment,” Ramirez said.
According to ArcGIS data, both fires were 100% contained Aug. 26. That means you have until Oct. 25 to apply.
“In Lincoln County, there’s only 252 policies. That’s the entire county. There’s a lot of people that don’t have flood insurance. Right now, we only had 73 claims since the disaster was declared,” Ramirez said.
We reached out to FEMA on behalf of Aguilar and Montelongo. However, FEMA told us that they can’t discuss individual cases due to privacy.
KOB 4 was told that once someone receives a letter of denial, they can appeal it. Denials can also happen for a number of reasons.
FEMA sent KOB 4 the following statement:
“They have 60 days from the date that appears in the Determination Letter. That letter is not the last word.
When someone applies with FEMA, we send an Inspector to verify losses and damages, ownership of property or rental contract and identity of the person. If the applicant don’t keep the appointment the system generates a Letter.
Many times survivors don’t present sufficient evidence and FEMA ask for more documentation such as hotel receipts with letterhead, and the dates have to match with the evacuation dates, food receipts, contractors estimates are verified. Every case is unique.”
New Mexico
Los Alamos Public Schools Students Compete At 2026 New Mexico State Science & Engineering Fair
Students from Barranca Mesa Elementary, Mountain Elementary, Los Alamos Middle School, and Los Alamos High School at the 2026 New Mexico State Science & Engineering Fair at New Mexico Tech. Photo CourtesyLAPS
LAHS junior Tate Plohr and freshman Linus Plohr qualified to attend the 2026 Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair in May in Phoenix, Ariz. Photo Courtesy LAPS
Los Alamos Middle School student Branden Keller was awarded the CO2 & Greenhouse Gas Scholarship in the amount of $2,000 at the 2026 New Mexico State Science & Engineering Fair. Photo Courtesy/LAPS
LAPS NEWS RELEASE
Twenty students from Barranca Mesa Elementary, Mountain Elementary, Los Alamos Middle School (LAMS) and Los Alamos High School (LAHS) competed, with several garnering awards at the 2026 New Mexico State Science and Engineering Fair held at New Mexico Tech in Socorro.
LAHS junior Tate Plohr qualified to attend the Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF) next month in Phoenix, Ariz. He was awarded the 3rd-place Grand Award. Freshman Linus Plohr qualified as an alternate and will also be attending the Regeneron ISEF.
Students who participated in the state competition include, from Barranca Mesa Elementary, Sydney Chen, Mary Beth Kelsey, Lily Neale, Aurora Roberts Voss and Henry Rodarte; and Glyn Lo and Ernest Maupin, Mountain Elementary.
Students from LAMS who competed include Evelyn Fobes, Mason Garcia, Andrew Gilbertson, James Junghans, Sequoya Ke, Brandon Keller, Nejan Liyanage and Daniel Yampolsky.
LAHS students Julia Neale, Linus Plohr, Tate Plohr, Lilia Veteva, Helena Welch and Kalliope Welch competed at the senior level.
2026 Award winners:
Category Awards – Junior Division
- Animal Science, Cellular & Molecular
- Biomedical & Health Science
- Honorable Mention: Sequoya Ke
- Embedded Systems, Math, Robotics, Software & Technology
- 2nd place: Nejan Liyanage
- Physics & Astronomy
- 1st place: Sydney Chen
- 2nd place: Mason Garcia
- Honorable Mention: Marybeth Kelsey
- Plant Science
Category Awards – Senior Division
- Behavioral & Social Science:
- Honorable Mention: Linus Plohr
- Earth & Environmental
- Honorable Mention: Lilia Viteva
- Embedded Systems, Math, Robotics, & System Software
- 3rd Place: Helena Welch and Kalliope Welch
- Physics & Astronomy
Grand Awards
- ISEF finalist 3rd place: Tate Plohr
- Brandon Keller received the CO2 & Greenhouse Gas Scholarship in the amount of $2,000. James Jungans and Marybeth Kelsey garnered Thermo Fisher Awards.
Other special award winners include:
- CO2 & Greenhouse Reduction Awards (Junior Division)
- Daniel Yampolsky, 2nd place, Earth & Environmental Sciences
- Sequoya Ke, 1st place, Biomedical & Health Science
- Brandon Keller, 1st place, Energy & Materials Science
- Andrew Gilbertson, 1st place, Physics & Astronomy
- CO2 & Greenhouse Gas Reduction Award (Senior Division)
- Lilia Viteva, 1st place, Earth & Environmental Sciences
- Office of Naval Research Award
- David Shortess Award
- New Mexico AVS Award
- Citadel Award
- Naval Research Award
- NM Network for Women in Science & Engineering Award
- Yale Science & Engineering Award
- Rose Baca Rivet Award
Related
Arizona State baseball will host a four-game homestand, beginning with New Mexico State on Wednesday, April 22.
The Sun Devils and Aggies faced each other in late March, with ASU winning 10-4. The two teams will meet for the final time at 6:35 p.m. at Phoenix Municipal Stadium.
ASU will then welcome Baylor on Friday, April 24, for a three-game series. The Sun Devils have yet to face the Bears this season, but ASU has been doing well so far and has been in the top 25 for four weeks.
Sophomore center fielder Landon Hairston earned Big 12 player of the week honors on April 13, after delivering five home runs in five games. His 10 runs in that stretch were tied for the second-most nationally and his 14 runs batted in were tied for third-most nationally. All nine of his hits went for extra bases, three more than any other player.
ASU’s series against Baylor will start at 6:35 p.m. for the first two games, followed by a 1:05 p.m. start on Sunday, April 26.
April 19
Softball at Houston, Cougar Softball Stadium, noon.
April 22
Baseball vs New Mexico State, Phoenix Municipal Stadium, 6:35 p.m.
April 23
Women’s golf at Big 12 Championship, Dallas Athletic Club, TBA.
Track and field at Penn Relays, Franklin Field, 1:22 p.m.
Beach volleyball at Big 12 Championship, Bear Down Beach, all day.
April 24
Baseball vs Baylor, Phoenix Municipal Stadium, 6:35 p.m.
Softball vs Texas Tech, Farrington Stadium, 7 p.m.
April 25
Lacrosse at Colorado, Prentup Field, 11 a.m.
Softball vs Texas Tech, Farrington Stadium, 3 p.m.
Baseball vs Baylor, Phoenix Municipal Stadium, 6:35 p.m.
Reach the reporter or send tips for stories at jenna.ortiz@arizonarepublic.com, as well as @jennarortiz on X.
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Josh’s Saturday Night Forecast
NEW MEXICO (KRQE) – Calmer weather has moved back into the state this afternoon. Temperatures are slightly warmer across northwestern New Mexico, while southeastern areas are cooler thanks to the backdoor cold fronts that moved in on Friday. Breezier winds will return Sunday and will help kick off a warming trend across the state, along with an elevated fire threat in eastern New Mexico.
Warmer weather will continue building in across the state throughout the upcoming week. A few isolated rain chances will return Monday in parts of New Mexico, but some of that rain may evaporate before reaching the ground.
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