The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) announced a reward of up to $10,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of suspected arsonists.
Reports say they may have deliberately sparked two deadly wildfires that ravaged large areas of southern New Mexico last week.
The FBI reported that it was still investigating the causes of the South Fork Fire and the Salt Fire. The bureau indicated that one or more individuals might have sparked the fires on 17 June. A reward is being offered for help in identifying “person or persons responsible for starting the fires.”
New Mexico State Police reported on 19 June that they had confirmed two deaths as a result of fires in the resort mountain town of Ruidoso. The fires reportedly scorched a total area of more than 24,000 acres.
Over the past week, however, New Mexico has faced not only fires, but also a dust storm and devastating flooding. New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham stated on Sunday that it had been a “hell of a week here.”
