RUIDOSO, N.M. – Burn scars have created disastrous consequences for Las Vegas and Ruidoso. However, the rain is helping crews in southern New Mexico with the South Fork and Salt fires. 

Fire crews have them almost under control. The South Fork is about 89% contained, while the Salt Fire is 99% contained.

Clean up efforts are still underway in Ruidoso and Las Vegas is still underwater restrictions. But leaders in both areas say things are significantly better.

Just last week, Ruidoso was practically underwater. U.S. 70 had to be closed as cars and dumpsters were being carried by the water. It wasn’t just cars either, entire homes in the Cherokee Mobile Village were lifted and moved.

Village Spokesperson Kerry Gladden says things are looking better and many of the homes were put back in place. But things aren’t completely back to normal just yet.

“There’s a lot of cleanup that’s been going on for the past week, an amazing amount actually that, you know, has been taken care of. But that’s going to be ongoing for some time, and we are getting prepared for, there’s supposed to be some weather that we should see tomorrow and the next day that could cause flash flooding. We’re going house to house doing canvassing and giving them a flyer that talks about the dangers of flash floods and, like from the flooding that occurred last week, it was 15 minutes from the first rain drop to when it was a crisis situation,” said Gladden.

Gladden says as of Monday, Ruidoso is completely open to visitors. But they need to bring bottled water and to be weather aware.

The village is still under a “do not drink order” from the Environmental Department.

About three hours away in Las Vegas, things are also looking better as they’ve gotten a bit of a break from flash flooding.

Mayor David Romero says the city is still asking residents to conserve water. Burn scar flooding about two weeks ago caused too much debris and ash, and it contaminated the city’s drinking water.

They have made progress on that front, and they’ve been able to pull water from Bradner Dam. But Romero says they’re still not in the clear.

“We’re still under our, you know, the same level of restrictions on water. Right now we were able to open the laundromats up three days a week, car washes still remain closed, due to the fact that they are the highest consumer of water. Basically, what we’re waiting for right now is we have a pre-treatment plant,” said Romero. 

That pre-treatment plant could be up and running in about seven to 10 days. As we know, residents in both cities have been severely impacted.

Gladden is encouraging residents to apply for FEMA grants and check in with their insurance.

“Go and get in front of someone and talk to them and find out what are the, because there are qualifications. Keep after it, you know, if you apply and it gets kicked back to you, then take it again and get the help needed to get that application through and to get it processed. Don’t give up,” said Gladden. 

There are three disaster recovery centers around the village: the Horton Complex, the public library and on the Mescalero Reservation.

Romero suggests the community apply for FEMA grants again, even if many Calf Canyon/Hermit’s Peak victims haven’t received that money yet.

“We continue to encourage them that even if you did receive, you know, your smoke damage, that they go back and talk to their navigator and let them know that the damages that they, you know, got from this flood are also covered,” said Romero. 

As for when residents could see those grants come in from FEMA, there’s no timeline there.