Evacuation orders continue to be issued as Blue 2 Fire grows

Lina PortmanMay 26, 2024

0 5 minutes read

SEVEN NEWS TO FIVE STARTS NOW. A WILD FIRE IS CURRENTLY BURNING IN THE LINCOLN NATIONAL FOREST NEAR RUIDOSO. IT'S CALLED THE TWO-FIRE BLUE AND JUST ONE DAY AT MORE THAN DOUBLE THE SIZE, 3,500 ACRES BURNED AND COUNTING. WE HAVE TEAM COVERAGE TO KEEP YOU INFORMED, INCLUDING A OVERVIEW OF THE IMPACT OF WINDS ACROSS OUR STATE THAT COULD AFFECT THIS FIRE AND MORE. EVACUATIONS ARE ORDERED AS THE BLUE TWO FIRE CONTINUES TO AFFECT COMMUNITIES. WE START WITH JULIAN PARRAS IN LINCOLN COUNTY WITH THE RESOURCES AVAILABLE TO HELP PEOPLE THERE. WITH THE BLUE, TWO FIRES STILL BURNING SURROUNDING AREAS HERE IN THE COMMUNITY, PREPARING FOR EVACUATION ORDERS AND THOSE WHO HAVE BEEN EVACUATED ARE TRYING TO UNDERSTAND WHAT TO DO NOW. MEANWHILE, THE WEATHER IS STILL A CONCERN FOR MANY PEOPLE. I worry about the weather and the wind, which really puts the firefighters in a bind. ROBERT BARBER HELPED THE EVACUATION IN THE RUIDOSO AND CAPITAN AREAS. LINCOLN COUNTY EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT SENT THIS ALERT A FEW HOURS AGO STATING MORE NEIGHBORHOODS NEED TO EVACUATE. BARBER SAYS HE'S WORRIED, IT'S JUST THE BEGINNING. THIS SHOWS A LOT OF THE SAME FEATURES I SAW FOR THE LITTLE BEAR FIRE. SO. And I know the fire department, the forest service and the county are aware of that. Um, but that's what makes people nervous. HOTSHOT TEAMS AND FIREFIGHTERS CONSTANTLY MONITOR THE AREA BETWEEN RUIDOSO AND CAPITAN. LINCOLN COUNTY IS WORKING TO GET THE MOST RECENT UPDATES ON THE BLUE TWO FIRE, BUT CURRENTLY SAID MORE THAN 3,300 ACRES HAVE BURNED. THE LINCOLN COUNTY FAIR GROUNDS IS THE MAIN SHELTER WHERE PEOPLE ARE DIRECTED. WE GIVE YOU A PLACE FOR BEDS TO SLEEP ON BLANKETS, COMFORT KITS. There are parking lots here for caravans. There are restrooms here, and we have snacks and will provide meals accordingly. THE U.S. FOREST SERVICE SAYS NEARLY 180 PERSONNEL ARE WORKING TO MONITOR AND SUPPRESS THE FIRE. In the meantime, local and national organizations want to do their part to calm things down. WE WANT TO ENSURE THAT RESIDENTS KNOW WE ARE HERE TO HELP THEM, BOTH EMOTIONALLY AND PHYSICALLY. NOW ANYONE IN THE AREA WHO ALSO HAS LIVESTOCK IS ADVISED TO GO TO THIS EMERGENCY SHELTER IN LINCOLN COUNTY AS THEY HAVE THE RESOURCES TO

Evacuation orders continue to be issued as Blue 2 Fire grows

Lincoln County has informed communities across the county about the Blue 2 Fire. Whether it's near Ruidoso, Capitan or Nogal, this fire keeps people on their toes.

As the Blue 2 Fire continues to grow, some in the community are frustrated with how the fire is being handled. Those battling this fire say it's taking a toll on them, too. “We don't want the community to be mad at us. We live in this community,” said Margo Whitt, public information officer. The Ruidoso community has been holding town hall meetings for some time, updating residents as they learn more about the fire. Some of these meetings resulted in screaming from customers and lots of questions. “We are trying to convey to the community why and how they are fighting this fire, but they are being yelled at and their experience is not honored or respected,” Whitt said. She said it has been difficult for fire crews. Also. Whitt added that they are battling the fire day in and day out and monitoring how best to approach the situation. However, 40 additional people are on the way and arriving as far as Idaho and Florida. As additional personnel travel to the Ruidoso area, weather conditions reached winds of up to 60 mph on Saturday. “I'm concerned about the weather and the wind that's really putting the firefighters in a bind,” said Robert, leader of the Resident and Community Emergency Response Team. “We’re trying to deal with Mother Nature.” Lincoln County sent out this warning Saturday morning, informing more communities to evacuate or prepare to evacuate. They say more alerts like this could be issued soon. Here are the affected areas. CURRENT EVACUATIONS (GO STATUS): Bonito Lake Road, Forest Service Road 107, Forest Service Road 108, HWY 127A, Villa Madonna Subdivision, Loma Grande, Nogal Canyon Rd.SET STATUS: Sierra Vista Subdivision, Sun Valley Subdivision, Angus (at West of 48, South of 37), Cora Dutton, Ski Run Rd., West HWY 48 to Cora Dutton, Roadrunner, Magado Creek, Ranchman's Camp. READY STATUS: Alto, High Sierra East. (Enchanted Forest), Copper Canyon, Copper Ridge, Canaan Trail, Western Sonterra (east of 48, north and south of Hwy 37), Pine Hill Trail, Capitan Village. Evacuations were issued countywide in areas near Alto, Nogal. , and Captain. Although this is a stressful time for many, residents and firefighters are holding their heads high because of the work fire crews are currently doing. “We have a fire going on, let’s talk about it,” Whitt said. For those interested in following updates from Lincoln County, you are asked to subscribe to CODERED for more information on the fire and possible evacuations.

RUIDOSO, New Mexico —

As the Blue 2 Fire continues to grow, some in the community are frustrated with how the fire is being handled. Those battling this fire say it's taking a toll on them, too.

“We don't want the community to be mad at us. We live in this community,” said Margo Whitt, public information officer.

The Ruidoso community has been holding town hall meetings for some time, updating residents as they learn more about the fire. Some of these meetings resulted in screaming from customers and lots of questions.

“We are trying to convey to the community why and how they are fighting this fire, but they are being yelled at and their experience is not being honored or respected,” Whitt said.

She said it has also been difficult for firefighters. Whitt added that they are battling the fire day in and day out and monitoring how best to approach the situation.

However, 40 additional people are on the way and arriving as far as Idaho and Florida. As additional personnel travel to the Ruidoso area, weather reached winds up to 60 mph Saturday.

“I'm concerned about the weather and the wind, which is really putting firefighters in a bind,” said Robert Barber, head of the Resident and Community Emergency Response Team.

Whitt said it's historic that the winds have gotten this strong and said, “We're trying to deal with Mother Nature.”

Lincoln County sent out this warning Saturday morning, informing more communities to evacuate or prepare to evacuate. They say more alerts like this could be released soon.

Here are the areas affected.

CURRENT EVACUATIONS (GO STATUS): Bonito Lake Road, Forest Service Road 107, Forest Service Road 108, HWY 127A, Villa Madonna Subdivision, Loma Grande, Nogal Canyon Rd.
TOGETHER STATUS: Sierra Vista Subdivision, Sun Valley Subdivision, Angus (west of 48, south of 37), Cora Dutton, Ski Run Rd., West HWY 48 to Cora Dutton, Roadrunner, Magado Creek, Ranchman's Camp.
READY STATUS: Alto, Eastern High Sierra. (Enchanted Forest), Copper Canyon, Copper Ridge, Canaan Trail, Western Sonterra (east of 48, north and south of Hwy 37), Pine Hill Trail, Capitan Village.

Evacuations were issued countywide in areas near Alto, Nogal and Capitan. Although this is a stressful time for many, residents and firefighters are holding their heads high because of the work fire crews are currently doing.

“We have a fire going on, let’s talk about it,” Whitt said.

For those interested in following updates from Lincoln County, you are encouraged to subscribe to CODERED for more information on the fire and possible evacuations.