Two weeks after the Blue 2 fire ignited in the Lincoln National Forest, its growth — fueled by high winds over Memorial Day weekend — forced the New Mexico American Red Cross Chapter to expand its evacuation services to both Lincoln County Fairgrounds as the Capitan High School.
On May 30, the New Mexico Red Cross Chapter reported that no individuals had used the Capitan High School shelter at 519 Smokey Bear Boulevard, said Brianna Ventura, Red Cross public relations specialist. Ventura said at least 10 people had taken advantage of the shelter at the Lincoln County Fairgrounds.
Ventura said those evacuated from the wildfire’s path are allowed to shelter at either location at any time and that there is currently no maximum capacity on the number of people who can shelter at either location.
An evacuation center is located at the Capitan Fairgrounds at 101 5th Street in Capitan, New Mexico and accepts both people and animals. Pet owners can also place pets at the mall at the Lincoln County Humane Society, located at 25962 US 70 in Ruidoso.
Red Cross emergency shelters provide a place to sleep, food, water and health care, such as replacing lost prescriptions or glasses. Residents seeking shelter may bring bedding, clothing, medications, an emergency kit and a comfort toy for children, according to the Red Cross Emergency Evacuation Center page.
People are not allowed to bring weapons, illegal drugs or alcohol.
Lincoln County residents can receive immediate updates on the wildfires and any evacuation orders by registering for CodeRed alerts through the Lincoln County website.
Read more about the Blue 2 fire:
Blue 2 Fire remains out of control in Lincoln National Forest
The Blue 2 Fire has burned 7,455 acres and remained unattended as of May 20. Fire officials said 699 personnel were tasked with battling the flames in a Lincoln National Forest news release.
“Firefighters continue to reassess and improve previous structure protection efforts. Crews use existing facilities where possible when creating handlines, such as rail systems, old roads and rock formations. Hand tools, bulldozers, chewing machines and aerial aids are used to create control lines. Crews are extinguishing portions of the fire line that have held heat in recent days and ensuring the area is cool to human touch,” the news release said.
“Environmental challenges of working on this fire include inaccessibility of some parts of the fire edge, steep terrain, high temperatures and changing wind directions throughout the day.”
High winds and high temperatures were forecast for Thursday, causing embers and charred branches to fall, leading to more flames. Smoke was expected to be visible in the region as crews continued to battle the fire.
Juan Corral can be reached at JCorral@gannett.com or on Twitter at @Juan36Corr.
This article originally appeared on Alamogordo Daily News: Shelters remain open as Blue 2 Fire burns in Lincoln National Forest
