HARD. THEY ARE GOING TO FEEL THE IMPACT IN ABOUT A WEEK.>> ASKED SAM MENTIONED, THE WILDFIRES HAVE HIT NEW MEXICO AND THE STATE IS BRACING FOR STORMS AND POSSIBLE FLASH FLOODING. IN HARD-HIT RIO DOES SO, HUNDREDS OF STRUCTURES HAVE BEEN DESTROYED. NOW THE TOWN IS BRACING FOR MORE RAIN. WE ARE JOINED BY THE MAYOR OF RUIDOSO. TALK TO US ABOUT WHAT IS HAPPENING WITH THE SOUTH FORK FIRE, 0% CONTAINED AS OF TODAY, IS THAT STILL THE CASE?>> THANK YOU, YES THAT IS STILL THE CASE, WE HAVE WELL OVER 800 FIREFIGHTERS ON THE GROUND THAT ARE ACTIVELY WORKING ON THE FIRE AS WE SPEAK, THE SALT FIRE HAS BEEN SOMEWHAT SUBDUED, IT IS STILL NOT CONTAINED. THE FIRE ON THE SOUTH FORK IS A DIFFERENT STORY, OF COURSE THAT IS THE ONE THAT RAVAGED THROUGH OUR COMMUNITY, DESTROYING WELL OVER 1400 STRUCTURES, MANY OF THOSE HOMES. WE ARE STILL IN THE AREA DOING RECON, WE HAVE THE GAS COMPANY MAKING SURE ALL THE GAS FACILITIES ARE TURNED OFF, ELECTRICAL FACILITIES, AND WITH THE GENERAL FROM THE NATIONAL GUARD, WE HAVE A HEAVY PRESENCE OF POLICE, SHERIFFS OFFICES AROUND. THE OUTREACH FROM THE SURROUNDING STATES AND COMMUNITIES HAS BEEN REMARKABLE.>> DO WE HAVE ANY INDICATION RIGHT NOW AS TO HOW OR WHY THESE FIRE STARTED?>> WELL, IT WOULD BE GUESSWORK ON MY PART, I KNOW THERE IS AN INVESTIGATION INTO IT, WE THOUGHT IT WAS POSSIBLY LIGHTNING STRIKES, BUT NOW WE HAVE HEARD OTHERWISE, WE ARE WAITING FOR THEM TO TELL US ABOUT THAT. RIGHT NOW WE ARE REALLY CONCERNED WITH FIGHTING THE FIRE AND THE CATASTROPHIC FLOOD WATCH WE ARE UNDER. SO WE ARE PREPARED FOR THAT RIGHT NOW, WE ARE STILL FULLY EVACUATED AND WE STILL ARE ENFORCING THAT, BECAUSE I THINK WE HAVE ALREADY BEEN HIT REALLY BAD AND WE DON'T WANTED TO GET WORSE.>> YOU MENTIONED THE RAIN COULD BE COMING, A LOT OF PEOPLE THINK OKAY, ISN'T THAT GOOD IF THERE ARE FIRES? THAT IS ACTUALLY NOT THE CASE, BECAUSE THIS COMBINATION IS REALLY NOT GOOD, EXPLAIN TO ME WHY.>> EXACTLY, ANYBODY THAT HAS EVER BEEN AROUND A CAMPFIRE, IF YOU GET UP THE NEXT MORNING AND YOU SEE THE ASHES, IF YOU THROW COFFEE ON IT, YOU CAN SEE IT SPLASHES THE SOIL SO IT JUST RUNS RIGHT OVER THE TOP. IT JUST PULLS THE DEBRIS WITH IT AND CAUSES CULVERTS, WE HAD THIS HAPPEN IN 2008 WITH THE HURRICANE, SO WE ARE EXPECTING THE SAME KIND OF DAMAGE FOR THIS STORM. WE HAVE ALL THE RESOURCES AT OUR DISPOSAL AND WE ARE JUST WAITING FOR THE EVENT TO HAPPEN.>> YOU MENTIONED THE NATIONAL GUARD IS HELPING AND TRYING TO FIGHT THESE FIRES AMONG OTHER THINGS. DO YOU BELIEVE THAT YOU ARE GETTING THE HELP THAT YOU NEED FROM STATE AUTHORITIES, OTHER LOCAL AUTHORITIES AND EVEN THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT? OR DO YOU NEED MORE HELP?>> ABSOLUTELY, WHEN THIS FIRE KICKED OFF MONDAY MORNING, WE HAD AN EMERGENCY DECLARATION, AND AT THE GOVERNOR'S OFFICE, SHE SWIFTLY RESPONDED TO THE PRESIDENT, THE PRESIDENT SIGNED OFF ON IT TODAY, SO WITH THAT COMES RESOURCES, ALLOCATION OF MONEY. WE HAVE FIRST THE LOCAL ENTITIES, THE SURROUNDING COUNTIES, THE TRI-STATE AREA HAVE ALL BEEN HELPING, WE ARE GETTING ALL KINDS OF FOOD AND WATER, DONATIONS. WE ARE LOOKING FOR MONETARY DONATIONS AS WELL. SO, A LOT OF THOSE THINGS ARE HELPING BUT THE STATE AT THIS POINT HAS BEEN GREAT, GETTING US ALL THE THINGS THAT WE NEED. ALSO FROM THE FEDERAL, FEMA WILL BE COMING IN, WE HAVE A LOT OF DELEGATES COMING INTO VIEW THE DAMAGE SO THEY CAN UNDERSTAND THE DEVASTATION WE ARE WORKING WITH AND THE SEVERITY OF THE NEEDS WE ARE GOING TO HAVE IN THE FUTURE. WE ALREADY STARTED WITH RECOVERY EFFORTS, PLANNING, THINGS OF THAT NATURE. I KNOW THE COMMUNITY, OUR CITIZENS ARE REALLY ANXIOUS TO GET BACK TO WORK BUT, I'M STILL ASKING THEM TO STAY AWAY BECAUSE THE DANGER IS STILL HERE AND IT IS INTENSE THROUGH THIS EVENING AND TOMORROW FOR SURE. JUST TRUST US, THE STAFF WE HAVE TO HELP US ARE ALL EXPERTS AND WE ARE DOING THE BEST WE CAN AND WE ARE MAKING PROGRESS.>> I HOPE YOUR COMMUNITY WILL CONTINUE TO HEED YOUR WARNINGS. MAYOR CRAWFORD FROM RUIDOSO, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING WITH US TONIGHT,
