The McBride Fire broke out near McBride Drive in Ruidoso, New Mexico, at 2:30 p.m. on April 12, and spread quickly, aided by winds recorded at the nearby Smokey Bear weather station at 40 mph sustained, gusting to 80 mph at one point. The winds in Ruidoso have been out of the southwest all day, and the relative humidity has dropped to 19% in the afternoon.

There have been reports of many structures being destroyed. Everyone north of the high school in Ruidoso has been ordered to evacuate. The fire is moving north through Homestead Loop, Eagle Creek, and Alto. Ruidoso’s internet and power are both down. An emergency evacuation notice has been issued.

At 5 p.m., the Lincoln National Forest tweeted that the fire had grown to 15,000 acres and that “Ruidoso residents N of Ruidoso High School need to evacuate immediately.” Gavilan Canyon Road, Homestead Loop, Eagle Creek, Blue Lake Drive, Mira Monte Road, and the region east of Fort Stanton Rd are among the roads that have been evacuated. Evacuees are being accepted at the Ruidoso Convention Center.

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The fire has been moving northeast, toward the Sierra Blanca Regional Airport. Because the fire was threatening a transmission line, the local power company, PNM, turned off the power to 18,400 customers.

A Type 1 Incident Management Team, which is used for the most complicated emergency crises, was called in just a few hours after the fire started. It is extremely rare for this type of crew to be called in just a few hours after a fire has been detected.

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With winds blowing to more than 70 mph, helicopters and fixed-wing firefighting aircraft are unable to operate safely or effectively. At 17,000 feet, a small twin-engine aircraft has been giving intelligence and scouting for opportunities to engage the fire.

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The Nogal Canyon Fire, which started on Tuesday, is also burning in the Lincoln National Forest 12 miles northwest of Ruidoso and southwest of Nogal. Satellite heat detection indicates that it is fast spreading. The Forest Service issued an evacuation order for Nogal Canyon around 4 p.m. Tuesday.