Ruidoso McBride Fire Saturday: Some evacuations lifted, over 6k acres burned

Village of RuidosoYou can also tune -in to 1490 AM KRUI to hear the audio portion of the meeting.

Ruidoso, New Mexico -- While the area experienced some high winds that led firefighters to stop their work in the Nogal Fire area, they were able to continue working once the winds subsided later in the day, said Rocky Gilbert, one of the Operations Chiefs managing the McBride and Nogal fires Saturday morning. Crews are using helicopters and infrared cameras to find the hotspots.

"We're feeling pretty good about all of the McBride fire, there was some repopulation taking place. We're going to look at more areas to start repopulating and hopefully we can bring that area back to normal for everybody in the next few days," Gilbert said.

His full update is below:

McBride fire update (4/16)

Acres: 6,195

Cause: Under investigation

Containment: 0%

Start Date: April 12, 2022

Location: Gavilan Canyon within the Village of Ruidoso

Fuels: Timber, brush, grasses

Structures burned: 207 primary structures, multiple outbuildings

Personnel: 299

Fatalities: 2 citizens

Highlights: A Virtual Public Meeting will be held tonight at 6pm 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. Starting today, we will no longer provide an evening update in this format. Any notable activity will be posted on Facebook and InciWeb.

Operations: Yesterday’s warm weather and high winds tested control lines along the perimeter. Firefighters will continue to build and improve fire perimeter lines. Patrols are checking the fire’s edge for hotspots and any blowing embers. Mop up operations are occurring throughout the fire area to locate and cool pockets of heat.

Evacuations: The following evacuations have been lifted for Moon Mountain Area: High Loop, Lupin, Starlight, Old Lincoln, Nogal Place etc. East of Hull: McBride, Snowcap, Timberline, Fawn Ridge etc. Evacuations remain in place for the following: Gavilan Canyon: From Highway 70 to Lower Eagle Creek; Homestead Acres/Lower Eagle Creek; Rancho Ruidoso Valley Estates, Deer Valley, Deer Park, and Alto East of Flute Player. The Ruidoso Convention Center is open to evacuees.

Safety: Please stay out of the fire area to allow crews safe access to the fire. Parts of the Village remain without electricity and gas. PNM, Otero Electric and Zia Natural Gas are working to restore power. Please watch for animals that have been released or escaped. Prepare yourself and your family with a go-bag. Visit ready.gov for more information on evacuation preparation.

Weather: Today – Mostly cloudy, temperatures mid-70s, humidity 7-10%. SW winds 6-15 mph, gusts to 35 mph.

Restrictions/Closures: Closures are in place at Gavilan Canyon from Meander to Highway 48 and Warrior Drive from Hull to Gavilan Canyon. Portions of Hull Road remain open. Please respect the restrictions and closures in place. Violations impede firefighter response and delay suppression activities. Anyone driving in the area should slow down and turn on headlights for visibility

A Temporary Flight Restriction (TFR) is in place: Wildfires are a NO Drone Zone. Flying recreational and media drones within a TFR is illegal and endangers aircraft working on the fire. Drones found in the fire area will result in fire aviation operations being suspended until the area is cleared. If you see drones in the fire area, please report it immediately to law enforcement and the Incident Management Team. If You Fly, We Can’t!

Fire Information: Public 505-356-2636 Media 505-445-8278

InciWeb: McBride Fire Information - InciWeb the Incident Information System

Facebook: McBride Fire 2022

NM Fire Information: NM Fire Info

Email: 2022.mcbride@firenet.gov

On Friday, Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham visited the convention center where evacuees have been sheltering.

"For the first time in a long time, New Mexico looks like what we we've seen play out on the west coast," she said. "While I wish that we could tell every New Mexican that the mayor, the county commission and the lieutenant governor... that we're going to prevent every fire -- It's not true, we aren't. We're going to do everything we can to keep people safe."

McBride fire update (4/15):

• Acres: 6,167
• Cause: Under investigation
• Containment: 0%
• Start Date: April 12, 2022
• Location: Gavilan Canyon within Ruidoso 
• Fuels: Timber, brush, dry grasses
• Structures burned: 207 primary structures, multiple outbuildings
• Fatalities: 2

Highlights: Yesterday's favorable weather permitted coordinated operations between helicopters with bucket drops and ground crews on the McBride Fire. This enabled firefighters to focus on extinguishing specific heat areas and secure extensive fire line. Local crews that worked on the first days of the initial attack were released and replaced with fresh crews working under the Southwest Area Type 1 Incident Management Team 2, which took command of the fire yesterday morning. A virtual public meeting will be hosted on the McBride Fire Facebook page at 6:00 p.m. Saturday, 4/16.

Operations: 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 running toward the Village.  Fire activity is expected to increase today due to warmer, drier weather and gusty winds.

Evacuations: Moon Mountain Area: High Loop, Lupin, Starlight etc.; Gavilan Canyon: From Highway 70 to Lower Eagle Creek; East of Hull: McBride, Snowcap, Timberline, Fawn Ridge etc. Homestead Acres/Lower Eagle Creek; Rancho Ruidoso Valley Estates, Deer Valley, Deer Park, and Alto East of Flute Player. The Ruidoso Convention Center is open to evacuees.

Restrictions/Closures: Closures are in place at Gavilan Canyon from Meander to Highway 48 and Warrior Drive from Hull to Gavilan Canyon. Hull Road remains open but roads east of Hull from Warrior to Lower Eagle Creek like Snowcap, McBride, Timberline etc. remain closed. Road closures are being adjusted based on fire activity. 

Smoke: Smoke-sensitive individuals and people with respiratory problems or heart disease are encouraged to take precautionary measures.

Fire Information: Public 505-356-2636   Media 505-445-8278 

InciWeb: https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/8061/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/McBrideFire2022/

NM Fire Information: https://nmfireinfo.com/

Email: 2022.mcbride@firenet.gov

McBride Fire - April 14, 2022 Morning Update

• Acres: 5,381
• Cause: Under investigation
• Containment: 0%
• Start Date: April 12, 2022
• Location: Gavilan Canyon within the Village of Ruidoso 
• Fuels: Timber, brush, dry grasses
• Structures burned: 207 primary structures, multiple outbuildings
• Fatalities: 2

Fresh crews are coming in to replace local crews who've been battling the blaze since it began. Wednesday's favorable weather allowed for coordinated operations between helicopters with bucket drops and ground crews.

Firefighters are working to extinguish and mop up hotspots on the southwest section of the fire. Fire activity is expected to increase today due to warmer, drier weather and gusty winds.

Evacuations: Moon Mountain Area: High Loop, Lupin, Starlight etc.; Gavilan Canyon: From Highway 70 to Lower Eagle Creek; East of Hull: McBride, Snowcap, Timberline, Fawn Ridge etc. Homestead Acres/Lower Eagle Creek; Rancho Ruidoso Valley Estates, Deer Valley, Deer Park, and Alto East of Flute Player. The Ruidoso Convention Center is open to evacuees.

Safety: More evacuations are possible. Please stay out of the fire area to allow crews safe access the fire. Parts of the Village remain without electricity and gas. PNM, Otero Electric and Zia Natural Gas are working to restore power. Trees and power lines remain down in much of the Village. Please watch for animals that have been released or escaped. Prepare yourself and your family with a go-bag.

Visit ready.gov for more information on evacuation preparation.

Weather: Clear, temperatures upper 60s, humidity 7%, winds sustained 5-15 mph gusts to 35 mph. A red flag warning has been issued for this afternoon by the National Weather service.

Restrictions/Closures: Closures are in place at Gavilan Canyon from Meander to Highway 48 and Warrior Drive from Hull to Gavilan Canyon. Hull Road remains open but roads east of Hull from Warrior to Lower Eagle Creek like Snowcap, McBride, Timberline etc. remain closed.

Road closures are being adjusted based on fire activity.

Smoke: Smoke-sensitive individuals and people with respiratory problems or heart disease are encouraged to take precautionary measures.Fire Information: Public 505-356-2636 Media 505-445-8278 InciWeb: https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/8061/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/McBrideFire2022/NM Fire Information: https://nmfireinfo.com/

Email: 2022.mcbride@firenet.gov

McBride fire update (4/14) 4:30 p.m.:

National Fire Situational Awareness Map

UPDATE (04/14) 10:30 a.m.: RUIDOSO, New Mexico - Two hundred and fifty firefighters have been working non-stop over the last two days to battle the McBride and Nogal Canyon fires. Reinforcements are coming in to help from across the country.

A type one incident management team took command of the fires this morning at 6 a.m. Dave Bales, incident commander, says the team consists of operational planners, focusing on logistics, finance, and support for boots on the ground and the local community.

Bales says they are taking a full-suppression strategy to fight the fires. This morning's slower wind is playing in their favor, but winds are expected to increase later today with gusts up to 30 mph. Bales say they will "attack while we can".

Kerry Gladden, with the Village of Ruidoso, gave an update on the two fire-related fatalities.

Gladden said firefighters responded to a call that an elderly couple was missing at 2:30 p.m. Wednesday. The family could not find them. Detectives were able to find the couple's remains when responding to 539 Gavilan Canyon Road. The identity of the couple has not yet been released. New Mexico State Police are working to positively identify the victims.

Evacuation orders remain for all areas as before: Moon Mountain area, east of Hole, Homestead Acres, and Rancho Ruidoso Valley Estates. Yesterday, there was an immediate evacuation order for all those on Gavilan Canyon Road.

Bales says they are trying to keep the fire as small as possible, keep their folks hydrated, and are preparing for red flags today and tomorrow - with tomorrow having more intense winds.

Bales says they have five hotshot crews with more on their way coming in from across the country.

• UPDATE (4/14):
• McBride Fire Update 8 a.m.
• 5,736 Current Acreage
• 0% Containment
• 200+Primary Resident Structures Lost or Damaged2 Fatalities

UPDATE (04/13) 4:50 p.m.: EMERGENCY EVACUATION ORDER : Just issued: the McBride fire has jumped the canyon. Everyone on Gavilan Canyon Road behind McDonald's is asked to evacuate immediately.

RUIDOSO, New Mexico -- The Village of Ruidoso will provide an update at 4:30 p.m. for the McBride fire.

As of this morning at 9 a.m., the fire was at 4,132 acres with 0% containment.