Lincoln County Emergency Services has issued a new Emergency Evacuation for the Villa Madonna Subdivision due to the Blue 2 Fire. Residents of Upper Eagle Creek off Forest Service Road 127A, including the area surrounding Hwy 532 Ski Run Road and Eagle Creek Sports Complex, must evacuate immediately.

For more information, please get in touch with the Emergency Contact Center at (575) 336-8600.

Evacuation Information

Here is a current evacuation map courtesy of the New Mexico Team 3 PIO.
The map is also available on the fires dedicated Facebook page

Level 3 Locations (Go Now):

Villa Madonna Subdivision
Bonito Lake Road
Forest Service Road 108
Forest Service Road 107
Forest Service Road 127A (Upper Eagle Creek)
Surrounding area along Hwy 532 Ski Run Road
Eagle Creek Ball Fields

Level 2 Locations (Be Set):

Sierra Vista Subdivision
Sun Valley Subdivision
Angus Communities
Alto Area
Loma Grande

Level 1 Locations (Be Ready):

East of Enchanted Loop Communities
North towards Nogal

Shelters:

Evacuation Shelter: Lincoln County Fairgrounds, 101 5th St., Capitan, NM 88316 | Phone: (575) 354-2202
Animal Shelter: Humane Society of Lincoln County, 25962 US Hwy 70, Ruidoso, NM 88345 | Phone: (575) 257-9841

Current Status and Safety Measures

This situation is fluid, and boundaries for Ready, Set, and Go levels are changing. An updated map will be provided as soon as possible. Emergency Management Services are issuing non-opt-in alerts to those in the “GO” area. More information can be accessed via the Watch Duty App, the Village of Ruidoso Blue 2 Fire Hub, and heard on the Village of Ruidoso 1490 KRUI AM radio station.

Recreation, sporting events, and tourism activities in the area should heed the county's warnings.

Incident Commander’s Statement

Incident Commander Lino Baca stated, “As a precautionary measure, a command decision was made to engage early in safety evacuations. We will continue to be proactive while in command of this incident.” Wind is expected to be a significant factor in the fire's growth, with high winds and gusts predicted. Today’s mission focuses on air and ground operations.

Fire Details and Safety Measures

Advisory: A Red Flag Warning and Wind Advisory are in effect for the Village of Ruidoso until 10:00 PM today, May 25, 2024. The Southwest Complex Incident Team is en route and will transition on Sunday.

Lincoln National Forest Closure: The Smokey Bear District of the Lincoln National Forest has issued a closure order. This order restricts access to certain lands, roads, and trails within and around the Smokey Bear District. The restricted area is defined by specific boundaries and is aimed at protecting firefighter personnel and the public as suppression tactics continue. This order is in effect from May 23, 2024, at 12:01 a.m. through August 23, 2024, at 12:01 p.m. A map identifying the described area is linked here.

Resources and Containment Efforts

Start Date/Time: May 17, 2024, approximately 3:45 p.m.

Cause: Lightning Size: 3,427 acres

Location: White Mountain Wilderness

Resources: 177 personnel, more en route

Vegetation/Fuels: Dead and downed trees

Containment: 0%

Tactic: Full suppression

Smoke: Moderate, wind-influenced

Additional Information

Lincoln County has declared a state of disaster to ensure resource availability. Residents are advised to sign up for CodeRed, even if not directly impacted by this fire, as it is an important resource for local emergencies.

Please keep 911 open for emergencies.

Public Town Hall Meetings: A recording of the previous town hall meeting is available on the Blue Fires 2024 incident Facebook page. Another meeting is scheduled for May 25, 2024, at 7 PM at ENMU Ruidoso.

Stay tuned for more updates, and stay safe.

LINKS:

Watch Duty App: Blue 2 Fire
Facebook: Lincoln National Forest
NM Fire Info: NMFireInfo
InciWeb: Blue 2 Fire Incident
Lincoln County CodeRed: Sign Up
Lincoln County EOC: (575) 336-8600
PBS Warning, Alert and Response Network (WARN): https://warn.pbs.org

Source: USDA Forest Service News Release

The Forest Service has issued a new update with changes to evacuations - May 25, 2024