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PIO Map for the South Fork and Salt Fire June 29, 2024
Originating on the Mescalero Apache Reservation, the South Fork and Salt fires started on Monday, June 17, 2024. The South Fork Fire was reported at 9:07 A.M. MDT and the Salt Fire was reported at 2:00 P.M. MDT. The South Fork Fire, threatening the community of Ruidoso, New Mexico, reached 15,000 acres within 24 hours and as of 3:00 P.M. on Tuesday, June 18, is under evacuation orders. Both fires are burning timber and mixed conifer threatening the community of Ruidoso, NM. The Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) Mescalero Agency responded immediately with local wildland firefighters from across multiple agencies and jurisdictions, exercising full suppression response.
| Current as of | Sat, 06/29/2024 - 10:37 |
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| Incident Time Zone | America/Denver |
| Incident Type | Wildfire |
| Cause | Under investigation |
| Date of Origin | |
| Location | Ruidoso, NM area |
| Incident Commander | Southwest Area Team 5, led by Incident Commander Dave Gesser, assumed command of the South Fork and Salt fires at 6:00AM, Wednesday, June 19, 2024. |
| Incident Description | The South Fork Fire is at 17,569 acres, 77% containment The Salt Fire is at 7,939 acres, 77% containment Both fires are located in the vicinity of: Ruidoso, NM Resources: Crews, heavy equipment, engines, helicopters and air tankers. |
| Coordinates |
33° 22' 16'' Latitude
-105° 45' 58
'' Longitude
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| Total Personnel: | 780 |
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| Size | 17,569 Acres |
| Percent of Perimeter Contained | 77% |
| Estimated Containment Date | 07/15/2024 |
| Fuels Involved | Brush, Hardwood Litter and Timber. South Fork Fire: Fuels include short grass meadows, oak brush, pinyon-juniper, ponderosa pine, slash, and spruce/fir. Large diameter fuels are dry for the time of year due to the continuation of the long-term drought affecting the area. Where dead/down fuels exist beneath live canopies, the dead fuel acts as surrogate ladder fuels and a source of significant heat to ignite canopies and result in group torching and shortrange ember wash. Salt Fire: Large diameter fuels are dry for the time of year due to the continuation of the long-term drought affecting the area. Where dead/down fuels exist beneath live canopies, the dead fuel acts as surrogate ladder fuels and a source of significant heat to ignite canopies and result in group torching and shortrange ember wash. Typical fuels include short grass meadows, oak brush, pinyon-juniper, Ponderosa pine, slash, and spruce/fir. |
| Significant Events | South Fork Fire: Clear skies, warming temperatures, and decreasing humidity values created an environment favorable for the remaining isolated heat sources to dry out and increase combustion rates making them easier to detect and mitigate. Overnight I/R detected only 10 remaining hot spots, proving the effectiveness of firefighter suppression efforts as well as the benefits of the recent monsoonal weather pattern in decreasing the amount of remaining heat. This warming and drying trend is likely to allow hibernating heat sources to begin increasing combustion efficiency over the next several days so an increase in heat sources is expected but they will not be a danger to containment or result in increased acreage. Salt Fire: Clear skies, warming temperatures, and decreasing humidity values created an environment favorable for the remaining isolated heat sources to dry out and increase combustion rates making them easier to detect and mitigate. Overnight I/R detected less hot spots across the fire, proving the effectiveness of firefighter suppression efforts as well as the benefits of the recent monsoonal weather pattern in decreasing the amount of remaining heat. This warming and drying trend is likely to allow undetected heat sources to become more detectable but threats to the line are unlikely. |
| Planned Actions |
South Fork Fire: Crews will emphasize constructing direct control lines to protect values at risk and increase containment. Mop up along established control lines is underway and will continue for the foreseeable future. Suppression repair work on constructed containment lines will begin where appropriate and where access is possible. Structure assessments will continue. Assigned personnel will provide initial attack response to any new starts within the TFR. Crews are also assisting utility cooperators in gaining access to damaged areas. Salt Fire: Mop up operations, structure/damage assessments, and suppression repair activities are underway and will continue for the foreseeable future. Assigned personnel will provide initial attack response to any new starts within the TFR. |
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| Projected Incident Activity |
South Fork Fire 12 hours: Hibernating hidden heat sources which have been quietly smoldering with minimal smoke are expected to continue drying out and gradually increasing smoke production to the point that they are detectable visually or by infrared. Hot spots will become more evident and more easily discovered and mitigated. No threat to lines or expansion of the fire area is anticipated. 24 hours: Elevated temperatures, only partly clouded skies, and humidity values dropping into the 30% range will allow surface fuels to continue drying out after the numerous recent precipitation events. While burning conditions are more favorable than recent burn periods and an increase in smoke volume is expected in the afternoon, surface fuels are likely not receptive to lateral spread due to elevated fuel moisture. Minimal to no growth. Salt Fire 12 hours: Undetected heat sources which have been quietly smoldering with minimal smoke are expected to continue drying out and gradually increasing smoke production to the point that they are detectable visually or by I/R. No threat to lines or expansion of the fire area, just more evident. 24 hours: Elevated temperatures, only partly clouded skies, and humidity values dropping into the 30% range will allow surface fuels to continue drying out after the numerous recent precipitation events. While burning conditions are more favorable than recent burn periods and an increase in smoke volume is expected in the afternoon, surface fuels are likely not receptive to lateral spread due to elevated fuel moisture. Minimal to no growth. |
| Remarks |
South Fork Fire: The Upper Canyon "NO ENTRY/EXCLUSION ZONE" public access prohibition was rescinded today. The Temporary Flight Restriction (TFR) over the fire area was reduced in size again today. Drone flights are also A South Fork Fire Emergency Closure Order is in place for national forest lands within the Smokey Bear Ranger District. The identified areas, and roads and trails therein, are closed to public access to provide enhanced safety of firefighting personnel and the public. The Lincoln National Forest has also implemented forest-wide Stage II fire restrictions. For more information, visithttps://www.fs.usda.gov/lincoln. SWA Team 5 is also managing the Salt Fire. Precipitation occurred over the fire area yesterday and today. Salt Fire: Evacuations orders were lifted by Lincoln County emergency management personnel over the weekend. Visit www.lincolncountynm.gov for more information. Evacuation orders were lifted in the Village of Ruidoso this early week. Visit www.ruidoso-nm.gov/south-fork-fire for more information. The Temporary Flight Restriction (TFR) remains in effect but has been reduced. Visit https://www.tfr.faa.gov for more information. Drone flights are also prohibited within this area. A South Fork Fire Emergency Closure Order was issued on 6/20/2024 for national forest lands within the Smokey Bear Ranger District. The identified areas, and roads and trails therein, are closed to public access to provide enhanced safety of firefighting personnel and the public. The Lincoln National Forest has also implemented forest-wide Stage II fire restrictions. For more information, visit https://www.fs.usda.gov/lincoln. SWA Team 5 is managing the Salt Fire. |
| Weather Concerns | South Fork Fire: Yesterday was a dry day over the South Fork Fire, with no moisture recorded. The overnight was dry as all approaching showers from the west dissipated before reaching the fire. This morning's relative humidity recovery was good, in the 70 to 85 percent range. Generally light northwest winds through the day will draw in somewhat drier air, resulting in afternoon relative humidity minimums in the 25-35 percent range. Rain and storm chances are much reduced. Tomorrow, winds become easterly as a weak boundary moves in from the northeast. This will add a bit more moisture to the environment over the fire, along with some weak surface convergence and upslope flow. This combination is anticipated to increase rain and storm chances over the eastern slopes of the Sacramento mountains. Flooding and debris flows are possible. Sunday will bring lower rain/storm chances as high pressure over the area acts as a lid to squelch storm development. Salt Fire: Yesterday's weak disturbance exited the region overnight, taking the added instability, and a bit of moisture with it. On the backside we have high pressure reestablishing itself over the area, with northwest winds bringing in drier air for the area today. Last night was dry as all approaching showers from the west dissipated before reaching the fire, and yesterday was a mostly dry day over the fires, with only Div T, on the east end of the Salt fire receiving any rain. This morning's relative humidity recovery was good, reduced from yesterday's 100 percent, but in the 70 to 85 percent range. Generally light northwest winds through the day will draw in somewhat drier air, that will make for lower afternoon relative humidity, minimums in the 25-35 percent range. With the upper ridge rebounding and the lower moisture amounts over the fire, rain and storm chances are reduced and only isolated storms well to the south are forecasted. Most of the fire got a second consecutive rain-free day. Tomorrow, Saturday, winds switch back to easterly as a weak boundary moves in from the northeast. This will add a bit more moisture to the fire area, along with some weak surface convergence and upslope flow. This combination is anticipated to increase rain and storm chances over the eastern slopes of the Sacramento mountains, with a line of storm forming in the afternoon along and east of the N-S spine. We will again be on flood and debris flow watch. Sunday looks like another "down" day, with lower rain/storm chances, and only isolated coverage across the area as the upper high, acts as a lid to squelch storm development. Tuesday, of next week, could be another day of numerous showers and storms, as the upper high shifts east and away from the fire as a disturbance tracks in from the west. Still not seeing any stark drying or strong SW winds events through the first week of July. That means greatly moderated fire weather conditions will continue for some time. |
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