The McBride Fire was a destructive wildfire that burned in the
Lincoln National Forest near the community of
Ruidoso
Ruidoso is a village in Lincoln County, New Mexico, United States, adjacent to the Lincoln National Forest. The population was 8,029 at the 2010 census. The city of Ruidoso Downs and the unincorporated area of Alto are suburbs of Ruidoso, and ...
in
Lincoln County,
New Mexico, in the
United States as part of the
2022 New Mexico wildfire season. The fire was named after McBride Road, near where it ignited on April 12, 2022. The McBride Fire burned , and was fully contained on May 7, 2022.
The official cause of the fire was determined to be a drought-stressed tree falling on power lines, which quickly ignited the dry surroundings.
Events
The fire was first reported around 2:30 PM on Tuesday, April 12, 2022. It was driven by a period of strong winds, with gusts of up to 70 miles per hour and sustained winds of 50 to 60 miles per hour, as well as extreme dryness.
These winds prevented the use of aircraft against the fire on April 12, but better conditions allowed fixed-wing aircraft, including Very Large Air Tankers (VLATs), and helicopters to help fight the blaze on subsequent days.
On April 17, all evacuations were lifted, and on May 7, the fire was declared 100% contained.
Impacts
Two fatalities were reported on April 13 by the
New Mexico Department of Public Safety
The New Mexico Department of Public Safety (NMDPS) is department within the New Mexico Governor's Cabinet. NMDPS is responsible for statewide law enforcement services, training, disaster and emergency response. NMDPS also provides technical commu ...
, after an elderly couple were reported missing by family members following a structure fire at their residence the day the fire started.
In addition to the two deaths, the McBride Fire destroyed 207 structures, and multiple outbuildings.
References
External links
McBride Fire Information - InciWebNew Mexico Fire Information
{{New Mexico wildfires
2022 meteorology
Lincoln National Forest
2022 New Mexico wildfires
April 2022 events in the United States
Lincoln County, New Mexico
Wildfires in New Mexico