South Fork Fire containment up to 31%; Monday is expected to be dry in Ruidoso area when some residents return

Jun. 23—More rain fell in the Ruidoso area on Saturday, which caused some challenges to firefighting efforts.

Between 0.2 and 0.3 inches of rain fell in areas affected by the South Fork Fire, National Weather Service of Albuquerque meteorologist Andrew Church said.

The precipitation made it difficult for crews to access some areas because of unsafe conditions, the Southwest Area Incident Management Team said in Sunday morning's update.

As of Sunday morning, the South Fork Fire has burned 17,551 acres north of Ruidoso and the Salt Fire, 7,775 acres south of the village. Containment was 31% for South Fork Fire and 7% for the Salt Fire on Saturday, and 1,114 firefighters remained on the scene, the update said.

Damage and structure assessments are still being conducted. Crews will be available to respond to any new starts and flare-ups as needed, the management team said.

Storms are expected to continue Sunday that will likely produce a couple of tenths of an inch of rain, Church said. Humidity will remain high overnight, which will allow firefighters to "get it contained quickly."

The management team said weather conditions Sunday will allow the firefighters to continue securing the perimeter and respond to hot spots within the interior of the fire.

Church said Monday should be dry for full-time Ruidoso and Ruidoso Downs residents who are going back to look at their homes and properties.

"It's a good thing they won't have to deal with showers and thunderstorms in the afternoon," he said.

The Southwest Area Incident Management Team will host a Community Meeting on Facebook at 5 p.m. at https://www.facebook.com/SWIMT5.