2 Dead, 200 Structures Burned In New Mexico Wildfire

Two people have died in the McBride Fire raging in New Mexico that has scorched more than 5,000 acres in the Sierra Blanco mountain range, police said.

They were found Wednesday in a burned home in Ruidoso, New Mexico, state police said in a news release. Soon after, local police were called about a missing couple.

‘Ruidoso Police Department received information about an elderly couple who attempted to evacuate the McBride Fire but were unaccounted for by family members,’ officials said in the news release.

The deaths are under investigation, and the Office of the Medical Investigator is working to identify the victims, state police said.

The McBride Fire, which started Tuesday afternoon, has grown to 5,381 acres and was 0% contained as of Wednesday evening, according to the New Mexico Fire information website. The flames have destroyed or damaged more than 200 structures, local officials said, and many Ruidoso residents were told to evacuate.