| Blue 2 Fire Update, June 12, 2024NM Fire Info

Heat source identified and attenuated for firefighter safety on the Blue 2 Fire

Daily Update: June 12, 2024

Acres: 7,532

Start date: May 16, 2024

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

Cause: Lightning

Staff: 118

Fuels: Wood/Grass/Brush

Containment: 91%

Resources: 1 crew | 2 engines | 3 water tenders | 2 chewers

Operations: Yesterday, firefighters were able to fly over the fire. The flight focused on assessing the condition of the uncontained perimeter, which is difficult to access. The west perimeter area was determined not to retain heat and the containment percentage was increased to 91%. Smoldering inside the fire, where felled trees can retain heat longer, can cause limited smoke to appear throughout the summer, depending on dry weather and wind. Repair work on Soldier Mountain has been completed and firefighters are working to complete the remainder of the planned repair work.

According to their scientific modeling, the Burn Areas Emergency Response Team (BAER) released its burn severity map, which showed a moderate burn severity of 8% and no high burn severity overall of the fire zone. The team will work on proposed plans for the forest to help control erosion and promote the regrowth of native plants.

Weather report: Sun and clouds are expected in the afternoon over the mountains. Overall, above-normal warming should be expected, with an acceptable recovery during the night and lower relative humidity in the afternoon. The winds will be light and will favor a westerly component on high terrain and the influences of the relief on lower terrain.

Closures: Westbound Route 532 toward Ski Apache is accessible to Indian Service Route 21. Firefighters and construction crews are still in the area. 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. Law enforcement will be present to enforce the closure of the forest so that firefighters can complete their work in complete safety.

Smoke: Smoke from inside the fire 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/

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