Daily Update: South Fork and Salt Fires – Sunday, June 23, 2024 -Community Meeting Tonight — Ruidoso-NM.gov | Municipal Website of the Village of Ruidoso, NM

Residents and visitors are encouraged to join the Southwest Area Incident Management Team 5 for a Community Meeting on Facebook Live tonight, June 23, 2024, at 5 PM MDT. The event will include representatives from Lincoln County, the Ruidoso Police Department, NM State Police, Red Cross, PNM, Windstream, Mescalero Apache Telephone, Tri-State Electric, and Otero County Electric. The meeting can be accessed through the Facebook Live Event.

Contact Information:

• Public Information Line: 575-323-8258 or 575-323-8378

• Media Information Line: 575-323-8053

• Phone Line Hours: 8 AM – 8 PM

• Email: 2024.southfork@firenet.gov

Fire Statistics

• Acres: South Fork – 17,551; Salt – 7,775

• Start Date: June 17, 2024

• Location: South Fork – Ruidoso Area, Salt – 7 miles west of Mescalero, NM

• Personnel: 1,114

• Containment: South Fork – 31%; Salt – 7%

• Fuels: Mixed conifer, grass, pine/juniper

• Resources: 22 Crews, 88 Engines, 13 Dozers, 18 Water Tenders. Aircraft remain available for bucket and retardant drops if conditions allow.

Highlights

The community is reminded that unsanctioned drone use poses significant risks to responders and the public by potentially causing accidents and disrupting suppression operations. A Temporary Flight Restriction (TFR) remains in place over the South Fork and Salt Fire areas, prohibiting any and all drone use by the public.

As evacuations and closures are lifted, residents should exercise extra caution. Emergency and fire vehicles, engines, and equipment will continue to travel and work along roadways, and incident personnel will be working within neighborhoods.

Fire Activity

Recent precipitation on Saturday created challenging conditions for crews accessing certain areas. However, with improving weather conditions on Sunday, firefighters will focus on securing the perimeter and responding to hot spots within the interior of the fire area. The fires are expected to be long-duration events, with increased fire activity in unburned pockets of fuel as temperatures rise.

Weather

Warmer weather is expected to move into the area, with potential scattered storms. Temperatures will rise above normal, and winds will be mostly light.

Smoke

Light smoke was observed on Saturday, and smoke production is anticipated to remain light to moderate on Sunday. More variable wind directions, especially in the morning, may lead to light smoke and moderate air quality at times for locations around the fires. For detailed smoke information, visit Smoke Outlook.

Evacuations and Closures

Evacuation and closure statuses are transitioning. For the latest information, visit:

A South Fork Fire Emergency Closure Order was issued on June 20, 2024, for national forest lands within the Smokey Bear Ranger District. These areas are closed to public access, allowing firefighting personnel to work safely. More information is available at USDA Forest Service Alerts.

A Temporary Flight Restriction (TFR) is also in place over the fire area. Visit TFR FAA for more information. Drone flights are prohibited within this area; if you fly, our air resources may have to be grounded.

Additional Information

For more details and updates, please visit: