Communications most impacted by the wildfires in New Mexico are in Lincoln and Otero Counties, according to information supplied by providers in the FCC’s Disaster Information Reporting System (DIRS) Report for Monday.
The total number of cell sites serving Lincoln and Otero Counties is 113. As of yesterday morning, seven sites were not operational, or 6.2 percent. That compares to eight percent on Sunday and nearly 10 percent on Saturday. In the first DIRS report for this event last Friday, 22 out of the 113 sites were not working – or 19.5 percent.
As of yesterday, five sites experienced data transport issues and four sites are running on back-up power. One site had no power.
AT&T Mobility (NYSE: T), T-Mobile (NASDAQ: TMUS), and Verizon Wireless (NYSE: VZ) have deployed a total of 13 mobile assets to Lincoln and Otero Counties.
Concerning wireline and VoIP, one headend in Lincoln County serving 172 VoIP customers was damaged by the fire. A wireline company reported that the impacts to fiber infrastructure was not as bad as expected, according to DIRS.
“Repair crews have been able to enter the disaster area,” according to DIRS. “Another wireline company reported earlier 2,877 customers out of service due to fiber damage from the fire which isolated a switch. An aerial cable (48 strand fiber) over 4,950 foot long has been temporarily installed restoring service. In addition, a generator has been brought in to power a redundant switch close to the site of the cable damage.”
KBUY-FM and KWES-FM, both licensed to Ruidoso, a village in the Sierra Blanca mountain range, remain off-air. Two translators (K234AQ and K290AY) are also off the air.
All 911 call centers in Lincoln and Otero Counties are functional and receiving emergency calls with location information.
The wildfires are blamed for two deaths and for forcing thousands to flee, according to authorities. The FBI is asking for the public’s help in identifying the cause of the fires. It suggested humans were responsible, notes The Hill. The fires in southern New Mexico damaged or destroyed more than 1,400 structures, and nearly 1,000 homes were lost, the Associated Press reported.
Full-time residents of Ruidoso were allowed to return to the area Monday morning, local officials said. Residents returned to homes that may be without gas, electricity and water and were told to bring at least one week’s worth of groceries and water.
Full containment is not expected until mid-July.
By Leslie Stimson, Inside Towers Washington Bureau Chief
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