Updated at 7:16 p.m. MDT April 26, 2021
The 6,100-acre Three Rivers Fire 10 miles northwest of Ruidoso, New Mexico has spread into the footprint of the Little Bear Fire of 2012. Residents of the area will remember that fire because it stirred up a great deal of controversy.
(To see all articles on Wildfire Today about the Three Rivers Fire, including the most current, click here.)
Much of the criticism of the Little Bear fire was focused on what appeared from a distance to be less than aggressive suppression tactics, even though it was a suppression fire. Two firefighters worked the fire on the first day, June 4, 2012, and from day two through day five, while the fire was only four acres, a hotshot crew was assigned, but they had very, very little aerial firefighting support; limited use of one helicopter and no air tankers. On the fifth day the wind increased, a tree in the interior of the fire torched, and spot fires took off. The fire grew from 4 acres to 44,000 acres and destroyed 254 structures.
In June, 2012, Representative Steve Pearce was extremely critical of the way the U.S. Forest Service was managing the fire and the 297,000-acre Whitewater Baldy Complex in New Mexico, mentioning the name of Tom Tidwell, Chief of the Forest Service, many times during a 22-minute speech on the floor of the House of Representatives.
Rep. Pearce had five reports written about the two fires
Updated at 6:49 p.m. MDT April 26, 2021
At about 5 p.m. Monday the Lincoln National Forest lengthened the list of locations under evacuation notices for the Three Rivers Fire northwest of Ruidoso, New Mexico:
• Nogal Canyon Area
• Bonito Canyon Area
• Tanbark
• Church
• Ranchman’s Camp
• Loma Grande
• Cora Dutton
• Magado
• Ski Apache
Evacuation Centers
• Nazarean Church Camp, 200 Bonito Park Rd. Alto, NM 88316
• Capitan Senior Center at 412 Tiger Drive Capitan, NM 88316
• Ruidoso Downs Senior Center at 393 Highway 70 West Rd. Ruidoso Downs, NM 88346.
The latest size estimate is 6,100 acres. The fire is spreading very rapidly.
Within hours of the Three Rivers Fire detection on the Lincoln National Forest in New Mexico, evacuations were ordered. The fire is about 10 miles northwest of Ruidoso. It is one-half mile above Three Rivers Campground near the White Mountains on the Smokey Bear Ranger District between Tularosa and Carrizozo.
Evacuation notices are in effect according to the U.S. Forest Service for Nogal Canyon, Bonito Canyon, and the Ski Apache area.
At about 11 a.m. officials estimated the size at 30 acres, but judging from the live video from Ruidoso at 2:40 p.m. it appears to be growing rapidly. The latest report puts it at approximately 4,000 acres.
The fire is being pushed by a strong wind gusting out of the southwest at up to 38 mph. That wind speed was recorded at a weather station in Ruidoso which at 2:35 p.m. April 26 showed 66 degrees and 7 percent relative humidity. The forecast is for wind gusts up to 55 mph in the afternoon. These conditions will make it very difficult to impossible for firefighters to get out in front and stop the forward progress of the fire — or for retardant-dropping aircraft to be effective.
A Type 1 Incident Management Team has been ordered. Other resources ordered or onsite as of 2:10 p.m. MDT included 2 single-engine airtankers, 1 hotshot crew, 2 other hand crews, and 5 engines.
Any update on containment or fire perimeter?
Is there no updated information for 4/28/2021?
Steady light misty rain since at least 7am here in Capitan, a help.
Very little doubt this was careless human-caused yesterday morning.
Might be time to suspend/cancel ALL fireworks sales in NM – especially for the 4th of July holidays in City limits. Fire knows no boundaries, and remember how recent it’s been since the City of Roswell lost one of its firefighters and horribly burned another, when their bunker of fireworks went off during preparations for the 4th. Even the most skilled can get hurt!
Almost guaranteed that this started from someone camping in the white mountain wilderness, the time it was reported even lines up with a breakfast cook fire being the source of the ignition. What cars and how many people were parked at that trailhead this morning? My guess is a careless fire was left smoldering and is causing this horrific disaster.
Is the fire getting close enough to Capitan to evacuate? Where is the fire as of 12:28 am ??!
I am unable to find anyone that has an answer at this hour and am very worried.
These firefighters Hotshot Crews need proper equipment proper aerial support to fight these fires without that they might as well let the entire Mountain burn support the fire department in Hotshot Crews
Is the Petroglyph Site in Tularosa open??
Not a blade of green grass in April. Region 3 better hope for a strong monsoon this year.
Forests and the BLM need to start considering fire restrictions…
Where are they evacuating people to?
Evacuation Centers
• Nazarean Church Camp at 200 Bonito Park Rd. Alto, NM 88316
• Capitan Senior Center at 412 Tiger Drive Capitan, NM 88316
• Ruidoso Downs Senior Center at 393 Highway 70 West Rd. Ruidoso Downs, NM 88346.
(Evacuees with livestock can take their animals to Lincoln County Fairgrounds at 101 5th St. Capitan, NM.)
This fire is about 20 miles from where Smokey Bear was rescued as a cub.
Hi! I try to follow the fire via social media… Reports are now up to 1000 to 4000 acres, winds at 44 miles… It’s cooking!
Prayers for everyone being evacuated in the three Rivers fire and to the ones being forced out of them homes everyone needs to pray I was in the little bear fire a few years back and it’s nothing nice 800 structures were lost hundreds lost their home they’re still recovering from that just pray for them every one