Ruidoso, New Mexico fire 83% contained – updated Thursday, June 6

Video above: Aerial footage of Blue 2 Fire on Friday, May 24

EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) — The Blue 2 Fire is nearly contained and a virtual community meeting will be held on Thursday, June 6 to discuss fire operations and post-fire recovery, according to the New Forestry Division. Mexico.

The virtual meeting will begin at 7:30 p.m. and will be streamed live on the Blue 2 Fire Facebook page. The public will be allowed to ask questions about fire operations and fire recovery.

To access the Blue 2 Fire Facebook page, click here.

The entire east side of the Blue 2 Fire is contained and is currently reported at 7,532 acres with 83 percent containment.

The Forestry Division says land and handline repairs continue. Firefighters also spread grass seeds to promote revegetation.

“Crews and equipment are installing water diversion devices to limit erosion. The excavators bring the rows of brush back to the north line of the bulldozer. Chewers continue to work at the forest edge, west of the communities. Drones and crews monitor any detectable hot spots along the remaining edge of the uncontained fire. Watering lines and sprinklers are brought in and prepared for return to the national cache. When firefighters finish their work, they leave the scene of the incident to return home or head to other fires. Law enforcement continues to enforce forest closures so firefighters can complete their work safely,” the Forestry Division said.

All evacuations have been lifted. Lake Bonito will remain closed until further notice and the forest closure order will remain in effect for the White Mountain Wilderness Area.

The Temporary Flight Restriction (TFR) is still in effect in the area, which includes unmanned aircraft systems or drones, according to the Forestry Division.

The Division of Forestry also says a change in weather conditions will result in a moderation of fire weather, a decrease in wind speed and an increase in relative humidity.

The fire continues to produce minimal smoke. However, surrounding communities will benefit from good air quality.

The fire was started by lightning on Thursday, May 16 and is located in the White Mountain Wilderness area, 8 miles north of Ruidoso.