Wildfire Spreads Quickly After Crash of Medical Plane

UPDATE May 18, 2026 4:06 PM CDT

A fast-growing wildfire sparked by the fatal crash of a small medical plane outside Ruidoso, New Mexico, has triggered evacuations for a rural area north of the Capitan Mountains and closures in the Lincoln National Forest, officials said Monday. The wildfire grew rapidly over the weekend in the dry and windy conditions, nearly doubling in size between Sunday and Monday morning to more than 19 square miles, the AP reports. It was burning out of control in a sparsely populated area despite the efforts of more than 600 firefighters from the US Forest Service, the Bureau of Land Management, and several interagency Hotshot crews. A public information officer for the fire said steep, rugged terrain has made it impossible for crews to engage the fire directly, so crews are trying to redirect it.

May 14, 2026 1:50 PM CDT

A small medical plane crashed outside Ruidoso, New Mexico, on Thursday morning, killing all four people aboard, officials say. The cause of the crash remains unknown, according to Lincoln County Manager Jason Burns. The flight departed from Roswell Air Center and was headed to Sierra Blanca Regional Airport, the Federal Aviation Administration said in a statement. KOB reports that contact with the plane was lost as it flew over the Capitan Mountains. The crashed plane was found hours later. "Our hearts and prayers go out to the families, loved ones, friends, and colleagues of those who lost their lives in this tragic incident," Burns said at a news conference.

The plane was operated by Trans Aero MedEvac, said Stephanie Reyna, who works in marketing for the company. Burns said the US Forest Service is working with local agencies to suppress a fire "associated" with the crash that is estimated to be less than 5 acres, the AP reports. Conditions across southern New Mexico were hot and dry, with a red flag high fire risk warning issued for the Ruidoso area because of low humidity and wind gusts that could reach 35 mph.

• Ruidoso, a mountain town with a year-round population of less than 8,000, sits at the base of south-central New Mexico's Sierra Blanca range. The surrounding area, which includes Lincoln National Forest, is heavily forested and rural.