| Blue 2 Fire Update, June 10, 2024NM Fire Info

Firefighters and heavy equipment work to complete remaining areas of the Blue 2 Fire

Daily update: June 10, 2024

Acres: 7,532

Start date: May 16, 2024

Location: 8 miles north of Ruidoso, White Mountain Wilderness Area

Cause: Lightning

Staff: 142

Fuels: Wood/Grass/Brush

Containment: 87%

Resources: 1 crew | 3 engines | 1 water supply | 5 chewers

Operations: Yesterday, light smoke was visible near the southwest corner of the fire, near Buck Mountain. The smoke was coming from unburned fuels in the fire area. Firefighters will continue to monitor the situation throughout the day. The remaining uncontained perimeter of the fire was difficult to access directly, but a rescue line was constructed to surround it as a precaution. Repair work was completed along previously constructed bulldozer lines across much of the southern segment of the fire, with a small section remaining west of Villa Madonna. Chewing is progressing south of the fire permit and northwest of Eagle Lake. In the northern segment of the fire zone, chewing continues along the eastern contingency line west of Loma Grande. Firefighters continue to repair the built line west of the Runnels, which includes crews brushing around the chew lines to return the built line to a more natural state. Transportation of excess equipment from completed fire sections will continue throughout the week as the organization scales to the right size. Law enforcement will be present to enforce the closure of the forest so that firefighters can complete their work in complete safety.

Weather report: Yesterday, the fire area experienced small amounts of moisture from nearby showers and storms. Storms can bring dry lightning, strong and erratic winds, rain and even small hail. Cooler and relatively humid conditions near the fire area kept weather conditions moderate. Trends begin to change Tuesday, as a warming and drying trend is forecast for the remainder of the week as high pressure develops over the region.

Smoke: Interior fuel pockets within the fire zone may produce a limited amount of smoke throughout the day, which may impact surrounding areas, which are wind dependent. The interactive smoke map is still available on fire.airnow.gov/

Closures: In the interest of public safety, camping and other recreational activities in the Lake Bonito area are still restricted due to ongoing firefighter activities. The forest closure order will remain in effect for the White Mountain Wilderness Area.

Evacuations: All evacuation statuses have been lifted. For an interactive evacuation map, go to tinyurl.com/Blue2Evacs