Firefighters respond to lightning-caused fire Wednesday near Capitan

The U.S. Forest Service is responding to a fire sparked by lightning in the Lincoln National Forest, officials said Wednesday.

Burning on East Mountain in the Smokey Bear Ranger District, the fire was reported around mid-morning Wednesday on the Lincoln National Forest Facebook page.

Two fire trucks and a surveillance helicopter were dispatched to the scene of the fire about 12 miles northeast of Capitan.

Crews were arriving at the scene, which was estimated to be a single tree crash, to assess safety, risk values ​​and develop fire suppression plans, according to the Facebook post.

More: Firefighters continue containment efforts on Blue 2 Fire near Ruidoso

Steep and rocky areas were the main concerns for direct engagement, as alternative means were put in place if a ground attack was not feasible for firefighters.

Smoke is expected to be visible in Ruidoso and Captain as well as other nearby communities, the social media post read.

Severe lightning Tuesday also prompted a preemptive reconnaissance flight in the Smokey Bear Ranger District area to see if more lightning occurred.

Crews also continued to battle the May 16 Blue 2 Fire near Ruidoso on Wednesday, which was nearly 90% contained and burned more than 7,500 acres.

Fire danger was very high in the Smokey Bear, Sacramento and Guadalupe Ranger districts Wednesday afternoon, the Lincoln National Forest website said.

This is a developing story and will be updated as more information becomes available.

This article originally appeared on Carlsbad Current-Argus: Lighting caused fire on East Mountain near Capitan.