The Village of Ruidoso, NM, has implemented Level II fire restrictions effective immediately on Friday, April 19, 2024, at Noon. These additional fire protections will remain in effect until officials determine that conditions have changed sufficiently to reduce the risk of human-caused wildfire.

The Village of Ruidoso returns to Level 1 fire restrictions effective immediately on Friday, July 14, 2023, at 8:00 a.m. Fire danger ratings and regulations are subject to weather and climate conditions. The Village of Ruidoso will notify the public immediately of any changes. Learn more about the current protections in place.

New Mexicans impacted by the wildfires and subsequent flooding from burn scars have only five days left to apply for assistance from FEMA. The final deadline to apply is Monday, Nov. 7, 2022. FEMA assistance can help residents find temporary housing, rebuild their homes, replace destroyed property, and more. Don’t delay. Apply today!

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has granted New Mexico’s request for Direct Temporary Housing Assistance, initiating a process that will make housing assistance available to eligible New Mexicans who have been affected by wildfire in Lincoln, Mora, and San Miguel counties. Learn more >>

The Village of Ruidoso will implement an escalation to Level 3 fire restrictions at 8 a.m. Thursday, May 19, 2022, which bans sources of fire outside on any public or private property as follows due to extreme fire danger. The order will remain in effect until further notice. Citations will be issued. No exceptions. No warnings.

Landowner applications are now available for download and submission for the Emergency Watershed Protection (EWP) Program, a federal emergency recovery program, that offers technical and financial assistance to help Ruidoso landowners Impacted by the April 12, 2022, McBride Fire and Wind Event.

As part of the federal disaster relief secured for New Mexico, the Small Business Administration opened a Business Recovery Center at ENMU Ruidoso to assist businesses impacted by the McBride Fire. The center located at 709 Mechem Drive at ENMU is open Monday - Friday, 8:30 AM - 5 PM. No appointment is necessary – all services are provided free of charge. Businesses of any size and private nonprofit organizations are eligible to apply for assistance.

On May 3, 2022, the Village of Ruidoso issued emergency executive order 2022-01 to waive permit fees for the rebuilding of more than 200 structures that have been destroyed or damaged in the McBride Fire and wind event of April 12, 2022.

The Lincoln National Forest joins other forest and parks in New Mexico who are implementing strict fire restrictions among a flurry of wildfires across the state. The Lincoln National Forest is entering Stage 2 fire restrictions just a week after going into Stage 1 restrictions.

A Burned Area Emergency Response (BAER) team has been established by the Lincoln NF to begin a burned area assessment of the Nogal Canyon and McBride Fires that recently burned on private, state, and federal lands in and near Ruidoso, NM.

Highlights: Both the Nogal Canyon and McBride Fires were transferred to a Type 4 Command structure on April 21st at 7:00 am. Safety: Today is an Extremely Critical Fire Weather Day. There are red flag warnings in effect. Lincoln County, the Village of Ruidoso, Otero County, and the Lincoln National Forest are ALL under fire restrictions or burn bans. Please do not burn debris, weld, or have campfires on red flag warning days.

In accordance with Lincoln County Ordinance 2017-03, the Board of County Commissioners of Lincoln County has enacted Resolution 2021-58 banning all burning of open flames, fires, campfires, trash, rubbish, shrubbery, or other material of any kind except by permit. This Resolution is to remain in effect for thirty (30) days or until rescinded by the Board of Commissioners.

Due to increasing fire danger, the Village of Ruidoso, NM, has implemented Stage II fire restrictions effective immediately on Wednesday, April 20, 2022. These additional fire protections will remain in effect until officials determine that conditions have changed sufficiently to reduce the risk of human-caused wildfire.

This will be the FINAL written update for the McBride Fire. The Southwest Area Incident Management Team 2 (SWAIMT2) will transition the fire to a Type 4 Command structure tomorrow, April 21st at 7:00 am. Once the fire transitions, updates will be made to the Facebook page and InciWeb as notable events occur. The current phone numbers and email addresses will no longer be monitored. As of Thursday morning, members of the public should call 575-258-6900, and media outlets to call 505-445-8278.

Hazardous debris after a wildfire can be toxic, and improper transport and disposal of fire debris can create dangerous impacts throughout the community. For proper disposal of fire debris, please place it on the curb in front of your house, and the VOR grapple truck will come to remove it for you. Residents are asked to abide by the following when cleaning their property.

On the evening of April 18, 2022, four UTVs owned by a US Forest Service Interagency Hotshot Crew assigned to the McBride Fire 2022 were vandalized. The vandalism occurred at the end of Eagle Creek Road where the pavement ends and it turns to dirt. Hotshots and other firefighting personnel use UTVs to access parts of the fire where regular vehicles cannot go. Thankfully, this unfortunate incident has not hampered fire suppression efforts. No arrests have been made at this time. Anyone with information is encouraged to call the Lincoln County Sherriff’s Office at 575-648-2341.