Alto, New Mexico — The biggest story in New Mexico right now is the rise of the South Fork and Salt Fires. These two uncontained wildfires have burned over 24,000 acres of land across the region. In addition, flash foods have also affected the area. Unfortunately, these fires have destroyed over 1,400 structures, including a popular ski shop and bar.
On Tuesday, a video of a fire burning the former building that contained the Alto Ski Shop & Bar went viral. The building featured a rental shop, ski tuning services, and a bar for après. The building next to it, which featured The Greenery Room (a dispensary), also burned down.
Alto Ski Shop was founded back in 1981 by Don and Jodee Damron. In 2021, the shop was purchased by Colin Hood. Colin described the heartbreaking situation to KOB4:
“It was hard not to get emotional. You put years of blood sweat and tears into it all of your investments, it’s your livelihood…There’s just been so many memories that have been made in this location and for it to burn own in such a dramatic fashion, it’s devastating.”
A GoFundMe has been set up to help them recover. We’ll keep you posted on other ways to help out the local communities impacted by the wildfires. In the meantime, Alto Ski Shop’s Facebook page features a resilient message:
“Closed due to the South Fork Fire …and will be until we rebuild 🫡.”
Image/Video Credits: Alto Ski Shop & Bar, Giuli Frendak (KOB4)
