Cooler temperatures and decreased winds will aid firefighters in Lincoln County, but low humidity will contribute to an active fire, a forest service spokesperson said Wednesday morning.

The McBride Fire, which started on Warrior Drive in Ruidoso, has burned 4,132 acres. Crews have not yet contained any portion of the fire, Laura Rabon, public affairs officer for the U.S. Forest Service, said in a press briefing in Ruidoso this morning. The briefing was livestreamed on a Facebook page for the McBride Fire.

Rabon said that overnight, fire crews were able to hold the fire around the Moon Mountain area and have stopped it from progressing into Paradise Canyon. About 250 personnel are fighting the fire.

“Today fire crews are focusing on point protection around homes and structures,” she said.

They are also scouting for the best places to construct fire lines and how to connect them to get around the fire, she said.

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The cause of the fire is still under investigation, she said.

An incident command team from the Southwest Coordination Center will be arriving today in Ruidoso and will take command of both the McBride and Nogal Canyon fires Thursday morning.

Winds today are expected at 20 to 30 mph, an improvement from the 50 to 90 mph winds Tuesday that fueled the fire, knocked down trees and blew roofs off buildings in Ruidoso. However, the winds are still pushing the fire to the northeast, Rabon said.

Due to the high winds, the Forest Service could not use aircraft in fighting the fire but were able to fly reconnaissance, Rabon said. Aircraft including a helicopter and seven tankers are available today.

Temperatures are expected to be in the 50s, also helping the firefighting efforts. However humidity remains low, around 6%, Rabon said.

“That is extremely low humidity and when you have low humidity it tends to lead to more active fire behavior. Because of these conditions, we fully expect today we will see active behavior as the day continues to warm up and those relative humidity levels continue to drop,” she said.

The fire has moved into the area of the 2011 White Mountain Fire, she said.

“That may help slow the spread of the fire. However, with the low humidity levels it is moving quickly across the ground even though there is no canopy of trees,” she said.

The fire has destroyed about 150 structures, including homes and outbuildings such as barns, garages and sheds, she said. There have been no confirmed injuries or fatalities.

Parts of Ruidoso remain without electricity and gas, and some power lines remain under threat from the fire, Rabon said.

Kerry Gladden, also a spokesperson for the two fires, said power is coming back on in the community and the city was able to restore power to pump stations in the Alto area, where the majority of its water comes from.

According to a 9 a.m. update on the New Mexico Fire Information website, mandatory evacuations remain in place for Moon Mountain, McBride/Snowcap/Timberline, Eagle Creek, Homestead Acres, Rancho Ruidoso Valley Estates, Deer Valley, Deer Park, and Alto east of Flute Player.

Road closures are in place at Gavilan Canyon from Meander to Hull Road, Warrior from Hull to Gavilan and roads east of Hull from Warrior to Gavilan Canyon like Snowcap, McBride and Timberline. Road closures are adjusted based on fire activity.

The Ruidoso Convention Center, which was initially an evacuation center, is transitioning to a warming center, Gladden said.

The Nogal Canyon area is also under mandatory evacuation as that fire is not contained as well.

Livestock that has been displaced is being accepted at the Eastern New Mexico State Fair grounds and the Capitan Fairgrounds, Rabon said.

City/RISD reporter Juno Ogle can be reached at 575-622-7710, ext. 205, or reporter04@rdrnews.com.

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