Blue 2 Fire near Ruidoso now estimated at 2.8K acres
UPDATE: The Blue 2 Fire near Ruidoso is now estimated to have burned 2,800 acres, according to a new perimeter uploaded to the National Interagency Fire Center.
Aircraft including large air tankers continue to work the eastern side of fire.
EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) — The Blue 2 Fire in Lincoln County, New Mexico has grown to more than 1,400 acres Friday morning, May 24, according to the New Mexico State Forestry Division.
The Blue 2 Fire is currently at 1,478 acres with zero containment as of 11 a.m. and is located in the White Mountain Wilderness area, according to the New Mexico State Forestry Division.
UPDATE: Blue 2 Fire will keep Bonito Lake closed
The fire started on Friday, May 17, due to lightning and has since burned down dead trees, down trees, and standing dead trees that were left after the Little Bear Fire in 2012, according to the New Mexico State Forestry Division.
Friday’s operations will consist of air and ground. Those who are in the area currently can expect to see aircraft as weather permits. Ground operations are shifting to operating day and night. A Complex Incident Management Team was ordered late Thursday night near midnight and is currently en route, according to the New Mexico State Forestry Division.
UPDATE: Fire near Cloudcroft now 75 percent contained
Evacuation orders for Bonito Lake Road, Forest Service Road 108, and Forest Service Road 107 are now in effect.
The Villa Madonna Subdivision, Sierra Vista Subdivision, and Sun Valley Subdivision are currently under evacuation warnings or “Standby to Evacuate,” and the Angus Area is under an evacuation advisory.
Lincoln County has activated an Emergency Contact Center which can be accessed by calling (575) 336-8600. There is currently an emergency shelter in place at Lincoln County Fairgrounds located at 101 5th St. in Capitan, New Mexico.
Those who need to evacuate but cannot take their pets can drop them off at the Humane Society of Lincoln County located at 25962 U.S. Hwy 70 in Ruidoso. The Humane Society says large animals will be accepted at the fairgrounds in Capitan.
Dry and windy conditions are what caused the Blue 2 Fire to grow rapidly from Thursday night into early Friday morning, said Jimmy Barham, meteorologist in charge of the Weather Forecast Office in El Paso and Santa Teresa.
Barham says Friday we’ll experience breezy conditions ranging from 15 to 30 mph which will cause the fire to grow.
Barham says that wind speeds will increase from 20 to 40 mph with gusts potentially in the lower 50 mph range starting at 11 a.m. through 10 p.m. on Saturday which is why they have issued a red flag warning in Southern New Mexico and far West Texas.
“Tomorrow could be a pretty significant day and anyone that’s in the potential evacuation zones needs to really pay close attention to their local authorities and emergency managers up there in Lincoln County,” Barham said.
Barham says the fire will most likely grow towards the east and northeast along the valleys, and the southwest area looks more favorable for a lot of the towns in the area.
Barham adds that a previous burn scar affected the White Mountain Wilderness area in 2012 after the Little Bear Fire. Due to the prolonged time, he says there is possibly regrowth in the area currently.
Barham says that the regrowth is probably what’s burning currently. However, if the fire moves into new growth it could be a potential danger.
“If it does move into new growth that could be a potential danger as it moves into more fuels and the fuels are really dry right now so that’s probably their biggest concern right now is how far it will go tomorrow and what kind of fuels we’re reaching too,” Barham said.
Barham says they are in coordination with the U.S. Forest Service and are giving firefighters information on detailed weather and are also doing situational awareness briefings on a daily basis so crews can plan for the rest of the week.
Barham recommends against campfires this Memorial Day weekend.
“Anything that could cause a fire I would not recommend in the next day or two and really for the next week,” Barham said.
Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTSM 9 News.
