3 dead after historic flash flooding hits New Mexico town ravaged by wildfires

Ruidoso, a New Mexico mountain town hit by devastating wildfires last year, saw dangerous flooding Tuesday after heavy rain fell on areas burned in the blazes, officials said.

At least three people were killed by historic flash floods that hit a New Mexico mountain community that suffered devastating wildfires last year, officials said late Tuesday.

The remote village of Ruidoso, about 180 miles south of Albuquerque, said in a statement that a 4-year-old girl, a 7-year-old boy and a man aged 40 to 50 were all “swept downstream by the unprecedented floodwaters that struck the area."

It was unclear if the victims were related or how they were swept away.

The New Mexico Office of the Medical Investigator, the Lincoln County Sheriff's Office and other agencies are investigating the deaths. A news conference with local officials is scheduled for 10 a.m. local time on Wednesday.

"All three individuals were caught in the rushing floodwaters and carried downstream during the catastrophic flooding event that saw the Rio Ruidoso rise to a record-breaking 20 feet — five feet higher than the previous record," the statement said.