RUIDOSO, N.M. – A wildfire ignited by a small medical plane crash has prompted evacuations and closures in rural areas north of the Capitan Mountains, according to officials.
The crash occurred before dawn on Thursday, claiming the lives of four individuals aboard, including pilots Keelan Clark and Ali Kawsara of Generation Jets, and flight nurses Jamie Novick and Sarah Clark of Trans Aero MedEvac.
The Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board are investigating the incident. In response to the wildfire, over 600 firefighters from the U.S. Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management are working to contain the blaze, which has expanded to more than 19 square miles (50 square kilometers) due to dry, windy conditions.
Public information officer Adam Turner indicated that steep and rugged terrain has hindered direct firefighting efforts. “This is what firefighters call ‘mountain goat territory,'” Turner noted. Crews are focusing on steering the fire away from evacuated cattle ranches and the community of Arabella.
A red flag warning is currently in effect for southern New Mexico, with wind speeds expected to range from 20 to 30 mph (32 to 50 kph).
No confirmed injuries or structure losses related to the wildfire have been reported.