Camp Fire fully extinguished
EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) -- The Camp Fire at the Fort Stanton - Snowy River National Conservation Area is now completely out, according to Bureau of Land Management officials. It started Sunday, May 25, 2025, and burned 877 acres in total, officials say.
"In addition, the BLM will open the West Mesa and Red Tank roads tomorrow, June 3. Rob Jaggers Campground, Fort Stanton Cave Campground, the Fort Stanton Historical Site and N.M. Highway 220 opened previously," a bureau spokesperson explained.
Update (May 27, 2025): Officials say there was no fire spread overnight and fire lines continue to hold.
Update: The Camp Fire has now grown to 720 acres, and is 4% contained. Fire crews reported minimal spread Monday, as most of the updated acreage burned on Sunday. Helicopters continued to make targeted water drops on hot spots, and fire crews worked to remove burning material.
ORIGINAL STORY (May 26, 2025): Two wildfires that sprang up over the weekend are still burning to the northeast and southwest of Ruidoso, New Mexico as of Monday morning.
The Camp Fire was first reported Sunday near Fort Stanton, about 13 miles northeast of Ruidoso, and has grown to cover 350 acres. The cause is still under investigation. According to the New Mexico State Forestry Division, a total of 78 firefighting personnel are responding to the fire. 32,000 gallons of fire retardant have already been dropped by aircraft in strategic locations around the fire, including six large air tankers, two single-engine planes and two helicopters.
Fire crews are expected to work on constructing a fire line on the north side of the fire Monday and reinforce a line created Sunday on the south side.
Evacuations are in place for the Fort Stanton area and surrounding campgrounds. The fire has damaged three historic structures at Fort Stanton itself and another outbuilding in the area.
Palmer Tank Fire
The Palmer Tank Fire also sparked up late Sunday about five miles southwest of Ruidoso. According to the Mescalero Apache Tribe, the .26 acre fire on tribal land is being fought by five fire engines and tankers along with their crews, and a helicopter and single-engine plane making retardant drops around the area.
Fire restrictions are in place on the Mescalero Apache reservation, banning open fires and fireworks due to the heightened fire danger in the area.
Photo Credit: Mescalero Apache Tribe
