FBI Announces $10,000 Reward in New Mexico Wildfires Investigation

A charred car and the remains of the Swiss Chalet Hotel are pictured after being destroyed by the South Fork Fire in the mountain village of Ruidoso, N.M., on June 22, 2024. (Andres Leighton/AP Photo)

The FBI said on June 23 that it’s offering a $10,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of suspects in a series of deadly wildfires in New Mexico.

Earlier this month, two wildfires were discovered near Ruidoso, New Mexico, the federal law enforcement bureau said.

“The South Fork Fire and Salt Fire were discovered on June 17, 2024,” the FBI bulletin stated. “Law enforcement officials are asking for the public’s assistance in identifying the cause of these fires.”

The FBI announcement didn’t provide more details on whether the fires were an intentional act or if it believes there’s a suspect in the case.

“The FBI’s Albuquerque Field Office is assisting local, state, federal, and tribal partners in the ongoing investigation of the fires near Ruidoso,” it said.

The two fires prompted the evacuations of thousands of residents, according to notices published by New Mexico’s Fire Information website and local officials. As of June 24, the fire service said the South Fork and Salt fires were at 37 percent and 7 percent containment, respectively.

“While fire behavior has reduced to smoldering and creeping in heavy duff and dead/down fuels, fire activity and smoke can increase in interior pockets of unburned fuel as warmer weather moves into the region,” the agency said on June 24. “Residents and others traveling within the fire area should continue taking extra precautions as emergency vehicles, engines, and equipment continue to travel and work along roadways.”

Both fires had been at zero containment on June 21. Full containment isn’t expected until July 15, fire officials said over the past weekend. More than 1,000 firefighters continued to fight the flames in steep and rocky terrain on June 24, officials said.

Lincoln County Manager Randall Camp said at a news conference on June 22 that “we are approaching a thousand homes lost” in the fires.

President Joe Biden issued a disaster declaration for parts of southern New Mexico late last week. The move freed up funding and more resources to help with recovery efforts, including temporary housing, low-cost loans to cover uninsured property, and other emergency work in Lincoln County and on lands belonging to the Mescalero Apache Tribe.

In approving the declaration, the White House said on June 20 that “damage assessments are continuing in other areas, and more counties and additional forms of assistance may be designated after the assessments are fully completed.”

New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham toured some of the disaster areas on June 22 with Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Administrator Deanne Criswell. The governor declared a state of emergency for the fires last week.

Local officials told Ruidoso residents on June 22 they could return to the area. However, they were warned about “no entry” and “exclusion” zones that wouldn’t be accessible because of the fires and recovery efforts.

“These areas are currently classified as crime scenes and are undergoing recovery efforts,” the Ruidoso government website said. “Urban Search and Rescue canine strike teams are actively working in these zones, and access will be restricted until these teams have completed their work. Please refer to the map below for specific locations of these exclusion zones.”

In another update, Ruidoso officials said those wanting to return home on June 24 can get water, food, and other items at a local church. The governor’s office, meanwhile, said on June 23 that the state opened up a “disaster recovery center” at the Roswell Convention Center in Roswell, adding that FEMA will have a team available on-site.

Wildfires have scorched more than 3,344 square miles nationwide so far in 2024, according to the National Interagency Fire Center. Nearly 20 wildfires burning in California, Arizona, Colorado, Washington state, and elsewhere are considered large and uncontained.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.