The Turkey Feather Fire and the Chicken Fire could merge after burning thousands of acres already in the Gila Wilderness.

RUIDOSO, N.M. (AP) — The mountain village of Ruidoso returned to the grim rituals of rebuilding after flash flooding and a deadly natural disaster, just one year after wildfire and intense flooding reshaped the popular vacation getaway and its surroundings.

Flash flooding from torrential rain killed at least three people Tuesday afternoon and prompted dozens of rescues in the Ruidoso area of southern New Mexico, officials said — the same area devastated by two wildfires last year. A house was seen being carried downstream by the fast-moving water.

The National Weather Service (NWS) issued a flash flood emergency for Ruidoso on Tuesday, warning of rapidly deteriorating conditions and rising river levels

The Turkeyfeather Fire is burning 22 miles from Reserve, NM, and began on June 30, 2025. It was ignited by lightning and was followed by the nearby Chicken Fire, which started on July 8. The two wildfires merged.

Flash flooding hit a New Mexico town devastated by wildfires last year, washing away at least one home and causing gas leaks, city officials said Tuesday.

Fire restrictions are now lifted in the Gila National Forest – and on Bureau of Land Management public lands in nearly half of New Mexico's counties.

Two fires are now burning in the Gila National Forest, north of Silver City, New Mexico. The larger Trout Fire, which has been burning for more than three weeks now,