Little Bear Fire is 30% contained

RUIDOSO, N.M. (KRQE) - Crews are working on a big flare-up late Monday evening at the Little Bear Wildfire.

The fire became very aggressive early Monday evening on the northern flank.

East of Nogal Peak and north of Bonito Canyon which is another populated area.

KRQE Pilot reporter Bob Martin says that firefighters appeared to be attempting to protect a large ranch from the air.

No word yet on whether any other structures were in the fires northern path.

Eighty more personnel have joined the fire fight Monday, all trying to get a handle on the fire.

The Little Bear Fire has blackened around 35,000 acres so far and destroyed dozens of homes and is 30 percent contained.

Approximately 35 structures have burned but officials say it could be much more, they have not been able to map out homes burned in two subdivisions.

Crews are working in some areas to assess the damage while evacuees wait to see if their home still stands.

”It's kind of feeling displaced, a little on the homeless side right now,” Rick Rel said. “But everything's cool…I mean, we have a lot of optimism.”

The fire is about six miles from Capitan.

Crews were able to reinforce break lines due to lower temperature and higher humidity overnight. They are using this weather window to try and reinforce some of the progress they made on the eastern flank of the fire-out toward Fort Stanton.

Fire crews are bulldozing to protect fire lines.

”We're cautiously optimistic in seeing those containment numbers climb in the next few days,” Shell said.

Back closer to Ruidoso, crews made efforts along the road to Ski Apache and helicopters also joined in the fight.

So far their efforts have worked.

“With the winds laying down we were able to get air resources in there cool that fire off came back in there with hand crews and dozers to kind of contain that fire so right now the fire spread has stopped, we'll go back in there tomorrow and work on containment,” Carl Schwope said.

Officials think Tuesday’s weather could be favorable for firefighters and they may step up their attack.
The incident command team says the area around Ski Apache is one to watch-just a little south and west of there is Cedar Creek Canyon.

Crews have gone in to build fire lines and work on containment, but if the fire jumps those lines it could head straight for Cedar Creek Canyon and make a run down the drainages into an area just southwest of Ruidoso.

"All of this area here is something we're keeping a very close eye on if this part of the fire makes much of a push to the south we have some concerns as to what effects that might have on upper canyon,” Joel Arnwine said.

People in that area were put on notice Sunday.

It may be days before evacuees know if their homes survived or not.

“Enough that people can go and at least see that their homes are safe or that they can begin to make plans,” Clarissa Solomon said.

Assistant coach for Ruidoso, High Rick Rel, was evacuated Friday from his home in Sun Valley; he and other coaches have decided to keep their annual athletic summer camp open.

“At this point we're kind of using it also for keeping the kids out of their stress level you know from the circumstances of being evacuated and the possibilities of losing their home.” Rel said.

Even though most kids are missing from the camp they say it's been uplifting to keep a routine in this difficult time.

KRQE News 13 has learned the DC-10, a three-engine wide body jet airliner converted for firefighting, could potentially fly Tuesday on the north end of this fire.

The giant jet flew the Track Fire in Raton one year ago this month.

And for the second night in a row, Governor Susana Martinez was in Ruidoso.

She was at the latest public meeting at Ruidoso High School, where people were briefed on the damage and the firefight.

Precautionary evacuations are still in effect for Grindstone Canyon, Ponderosa Heights, Alpine Village, and Cedar Creek.

The village of Ruidoso itself hasn't been evacuated and officials are working to make sure that doesn't happen.

Crews plan to continue to strengthen fire lines on the eastern and southwestern flank of the fire Monday night.

So far the weather seems to be cooperating.

Crews estimate that about 35 homes have been lost but they make it very clear that that is just a rough estimate.

The flames were so fierce this weekend that it's been hard for crews to really get a look at things.

Evacuations in Ruidoso are still a possibility but crews are working hard to prevent that from happening.