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 This Resolution is to remain in effect for thirty (30) days or until rescinded by the Board of Commissioners.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

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.

Evacuation orders are being lifted in the following neighborhoods of the McBride Fire 2022.

Watch today's LIVE operational broadcast from the McBride and Nogal Fires by Field Operations Chief Rocky Gilbert.

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.

McBride Fire - April 15, 2022 Evening Update Acres: Today, the fire was active within the fire’s perimeter near Ruidoso Middle School. Unburned pockets of ponderosa pine were ignited, putting up lots of black smoke. Crews and helicopters worked together to keep the fire within control lines. A Virtual Public Meeting will be held Saturday at 6pm on Facebook. […]

Officials are partially lifting evacuation orders for Ruidoso residents who live near the McBride Fire which has been burning since April 12, 2022. The re-entry plan as of April 15, 2022, at 7:00 pm is as follows […]

Watch today's LIVE operational broadcast from the McBride and Nogal Fires by Field Operations Chief Rocky Gilbert.

Good Morning from the Incident Command Post for the McBride Fire and the Nogal Canyon Fire. The photos were taken earlier today, as firefighters prepared to head out to their assignments on both fires. We've received additional resources from around the region to join the firefighting effort. A Red Flag warning has been issued for this afternoon. That's due to extremely dry conditions, along with warmer temperatures and increasing winds. We'll have a video Operations Briefing for you later this morning hosted on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/McBrideFire2022

McBride Fire – April 15, 2022 Morning Update: A Public Meeting will be held on Facebook Saturday evening at 6:00 PM. Today firefighters will continue efforts to extinguish and mop up hotspots on the southwest section of the fire. Crews have been working to ensure that the area will be safe for utility work restoration and to ensure residents can return as soon as possible. Dozers and ground crews will continue to work on scouting and constructing line along the rugged north/northeast edge of the fire. Hotshot crews will focus on the east and southeast sides of the fire to construct and secure lines to keep the fire from making runs back towards the Village. Fire activity is expected to increase today due to warmer drier weather and gusty winds.

Stay Aware. This situational awareness mapping tool is a near real-time wildfire mapping system. Track the McBride Fire Map at https://maps.nwcg.gov/sa/#/%3F/%3F/33.3831/-105.6185/12

CURRENT STATUS: PNM crews were able to safely restore power for another few hundred customers a short time ago. There are still about 4,800 customers we're working hard to restore. We expect 3,000-4,000 more customers to be restored by the end of today. Crews were able to safely restore power to Walmart and are working to restore Albertsons today as well. We have about 60 linemen working throughout Ruidoso, including in various canyons, the upper canyon, Cedar Creek Drive, the upper end of Ski Run Canyon, in the core part of town, and the area along Sudderth in the main business district towards Mechem.

Thank you for the outpouring of support for our community during this difficult time! Donations are greatly appreciated but we are being overwhelmed with the physical donation of items. If you’d like to make a monetary donation or are in need of assistance, please contact the Ruidoso Valley Chamber of Commerce at 575-257-7395. If you have been evacuated, please contact the Red Cross at the Ruidoso Convention Center for water, food, and any necessary supplies.