The loss of three lives to flash flooding in the mountain village of Ruidoso is “unfathomable and unfair,” New Mexico’s governor said Thursday, as

"The main reason was the South Fork Fire last year that burned directly west of Ruidoso," Grzywacz said. "The soil wasn't able to absorb any of the rainfall, and it runs right down into Ruidoso. Normally, if you had that vegetation still there, it could absorb it. For the Ruidoso monsoon season, it was above average rain but not record rainfall."

Flash floods induced by heavy monsoon rains caused chaos in Ruidoso, New Mexico, trapping people in homes, sweeping away a home, and prompting 85 swift-water rescues. Emergency teams responded promptly,