After a wildfire, private wells can be contaminated and unsafe to use for drinking water and other purposes. If you are a private well owner, the New Mexico Environment Department (NMED) and New Mexico Department of Health (NMDOH) will provide FREE private well water quality testing on Saturday, May 7, 2022, from 8:30 AM – 12:00 PM at the Ruidoso Swimming Pool, 515 Sudderth Drive, Ruidoso, NM 88345. Those affected by the fire will have the opportunity to get their water tested for bacteria as follows…

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.

The Grindstone Lake boat ramp will be closed for three weeks effective immediately for the construction of a boat ramp. Boaters can carry their kayaks and boats down the ramp but will not be able to drive down the ramp. The Contractor for the Project is Renegade Construction for more details on the project contact the Parks and Recreation Department at 575-257-5030.

As of 7 am Thursday, April 21, 2022, the McBride Fire has been transferred to a Type-4 Incident Management Team. With high containment numbers and no fire movement for multiple days, we will be switching to a full written update every other day.

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 This Resolution is to remain in effect for thirty (30) days or until rescinded by the Board of Commissioners.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.

The Lincoln National Forest implemented Stage 1 Fire Restrictions effective April 19, 2022, due to increasing fire activity and dry conditions. The increased fire danger is due to insufficient moisture and dry fuel conditions across the forest. The following are prohibited under Stage 1 Fire Restrictions […]

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.

Multiple pieces of firefighter equipment located in and around the fire area has been vandalized. Law enforcement is involved and an investigation is underway. With objectives continuing to be met, the Southwest Area Incident Management Team 2 (SWAIMT2) will begin to transition the fire to a Type 4 Command structure on Thursday morning at 7:00 am.

The majority of work left to be completed is along the eastern fire’s edge. However, firefighters will have a presence in the communities to the west to address hotspots and mitigate hazard trees. Yesterday, crews were able to complete a full assessment with hotshot crews walking the entire perimeter. A reconnaissance flight was conducted to check the fire’s edge for hotspots.

The Type 1 Incident Team, together with the New Mexico State Police, the Village of Ruidoso, and Lincoln County officials are lifting all evacuation orders in the McBride Fire area.

Operations: In the Eagle Creek and Gavilan closure areas, fire crews are mopping up and identifying, and removing hazard trees. They are working to cool burning stump holes and other heat sources in a concentrated effort to prepare for lifting the remaining evacuations. Currently, both the gas and power companies are working in the Gavilan area to ensure utilities are working before homeowners can safely return. Firefighters will work all along the fire perimeter to secure the rugged, western edge of the fire. They are locating heat sources and scouting to tie in pieces of fire line. Due to diminishing winds, low fire activity is expected today.

For those looking to help people affected by the McBride and Nogal Canyon wildfires, the Community Foundation of Lincoln County Shelter Fund supports victims and is accepting donations.

A Virtual Public Meeting will be held tonight at 6 pm on Facebook. Questions can be submitted in advance by email or through Facebook messaging. Last night, evacuations were lifted for the Moon Mountain Area. Expect increased traffic as residents return to their homes. We will no longer provide an evening update in this format starting today. Any notable activity will be posted on Facebook and InciWeb.

We are expecting gusty winds this afternoon please be aware of trees that might have been damaged in the initial wind event on Tuesday. These trees might come down and cause additional damage as winds pick up. If you suspect a hazardous condition, immediately contact your utility company and village authorities who have the equipment and training to safely conduct an inspection.

PNM Outage Update At the start of this incident on Tuesday, there were 18,000 customers without power. As of this morning, crews have restored all but 60 customers which are mostly in the burn area. Today crews continue reconstructing damaged equipment underground and overhead.

PNM Outage Update outage update - As of Thursday, April 15 at 2 PM, crews have restored power to more customers in Ruidoso and are working to restore about 300 of the 600 remaining customers this afternoon/evening.

The Village of Ruidoso and Ruidoso Fire Department will be testing the sirens in the Village, as scheduled on the 15th of the month at 5:00 p.m. It is necessary to test all 11 sirens to ensure they are working properly with power being restored in town.