Cloudcroft starts to rebuild after devastating downtown fire

July 16, 2011

cloudcroft has started to rebuild after a devastating fire last december destroyed 6 businesses. it's going to take a while before things are back to normal.. but today was a big turning point for people who live there. joe bartels is live in roswell with the story. joe? its been a rough year for cloudcroft. the fire left dozens without work just before christmas--- then the deep freeze in february caused pipes to burst forcing a water emergency. and despite wildfires and the on-going drought--- the mayor says-- cloudcroft is back. more than 8-months after a fire destroyed 6 businesses -- the rebuilding has started. the mayor owned one of the buildings ... "we had two choices, to move, just walk away and say we've had enough... or do the right thing, for our family and friends and our visitors." business owner chuck venable has waited a long time for today... "part of me just wants to cry it out again with someone. the other side of me wants to do cartwheels in the streets." with shovels in hand-- the mayor and other businesses owners say---despite everything that's happened-- it's time to move on. "we have been hit, and we have been hit, and we have been hit.... but it just seems we keep getting back up." some hugs and some tears at todays groundbreaking-- but the village of cloudcroft is determined to come back. "i appreciate the town, and i think it's a reflection of who we are as a community." construction of a "new pine stump mall" will begin in a few weeks-- and will look as much like the original turn of the century building as possible. investigators determined the fire started in the pine stump mall but a cause has never been determined