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.

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.

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.

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 […]

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.

The Forest Service reminds all citizens not to fly Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS or drones) near wildfires. It impedes the ability to fight the fire with Aircraft. If you see this happening, please report it immediately. Thank you. If You Fly, We Can't. Learn more >>

There are about 60 PNM crew members continuing to make repairs, replace damaged equipment, and restore more customers today. As of 9:15 AM this morning, there are approximately 1,700 customers that crews are still working to restore. We expect another 800-900 customers will be restored today. If you watch the outage map on PNM.com.