Fire
Fire broke out in the J.S. Ward buildingat 3:00 a.m. Tuesday, October 31, 2000
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HAUNTING HALLOWEEN
Firefighters began fighting the fire around 3:30 a.m. and turned off the water hoses around 4 p.m. The inferno destroyed the 90-year old J.S. Ward Insurance Building, a state and national historic landmark, but did little harm to other structures in the area. According to Lt. Richard Zuniga of the Artesia Fire Department, the cause of the blaze has yet to be determined, and may ultimately prove impossible given the extent of the damage.
 This photo was taken around 7:00 a.m.  Not part of the Artesia MainStreet plan   Main Street in Artesia around noon   Firefighters stop for a brief conference to discuss their plan of action   |
 Firefighting efforts began around 3:00 a.m.  Northwest corner of building has caved in     A section of the building collapsed onto this pumper truck   |