The South Fork fire, which has destroyed more than 17,000 acres near Ruidoso, New Mexico, was caused by a lightning strike, Bureau of Indian Affairs officials said.
An investigation conducted by wildland fire and law enforcement determined human activity did not start the South Fork Fire, Bureau of Indian Affairs officials said Wednesday, July 3. The cause of the fire was uncovered through a “thorough investigation by multiple agencies, including the Bureau of Indian Affairs, U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service and the FBI,” officials said.
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The South Fork Fire started June 17 near Ruidoso on tribal trust land administered by the Bureau of Indian Affairs Mescalero Agency. The South Fork Fire has destroyed 17,569 acres of land as of Wednesday, July 3, Southwest Area Incident Management Team officials said. The fire containment is now at 87%, officials said.
The South Fork Fire destroyed more than 15,000 acres within the first 24 hours due to high winds, officials said.
Cause of Salt Fire near Ruidoso remains under investigation
While the cause of the South Fork wildfire is now known, the Salt Fire near Ruidoso remains under investigation, officials said.
The FBI is still offering a $10,000 reward to anyone who can provide information leading to the arrests and convictions of the person or people responsible for starting the Salt Fire, officials said.
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Anyone with information about the cause of the fires is asked to call the FBI at 1-800-225-5324 or submit the information online at tips.fbi.gov. People can also text “BIAMMU” to 847411 then “MESCALERO FIRE + the tip” or just BIAMMU to 847411 and the tip.
The Salt Fire has destroyed about 7,939 acres of land as of Wednesday, July 3, Southwest Area Incident Management Team officials said. The fire containment is now at 84%.
Two people have died in the South Fork and Salt fires, which displaced more than 8,000 people.
No further information has been released.
Aaron Martinez may be reached at amartinez1@elpasotimes.com or on Twitter @AMartinezEPT.
NM FAST (New Mexico Federal and State Technology) is now accepting applications for a free space-sector accelerator cohort designed to help New Mexico-based technology companies compete for federal funding through the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs. The cohort targets founders and researchers pursuing grants from NASA, Space Force and related federal agencies, with programming set to launch July 21.
The cohort will admit six to 10 New Mexico companies and run for 10 to 12 weeks, meeting in weekly sessions of approximately one and a half to two hours. Programming covers the full arc of federal commercialization strategy, including space-sector SBIR/STTR opportunities and federal funding pathways, proposal development for technical narratives and commercialization components, federal procurement positioning and agency discovery, capital strategy and follow-on funding options, and transition planning from Phase I to Phase II awards. Participants also receive targeted one-on-one advisory support throughout the program. The cohort is offered at no cost to accepted companies.
The program is open to companies at both the pre-award and early-award stages. The majority of cohort seats are designed for Phase 0 companies preparing to submit Phase I SBIR/STTR applications to NASA or Space Force. A limited number of seats are available for Phase I awardees working toward Phase II readiness and Phase III transition planning.
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“New Mexico has a deep base of research and a growing pipeline of founders ready to translate that work into companies that can compete for federal R&D dollars,” said Carlos Murguia, director of the Technology and Innovation Gateway at Arrowhead Center. “This cohort focuses specifically on the space sector, pairing New Mexico companies with Larta’s expertise in SBIR and STTR commercialization to give founders a clear, structured path from early-stage research to federal award.”
Larta Institute, NM FAST’s commercialization partner for this program, will lead the full design and delivery of the accelerator curriculum. Larta has supported startups that have collectively raised more than $23.7 billion since 1993 and brings that track record to founders working in New Mexico’s growing aerospace and space technology sector.
The cohort aligns with the aerospace priority sector named in the New Mexico Entrepreneurship Programmatic Support Grant and is relevant to companies working at the intersection of advanced computing, bioscience and advanced energy applications in space-related contexts.
NM FAST is administered by Arrowhead Center at New Mexico State University and operates statewide, serving founders in Las Cruces, Albuquerque, Los Alamos and rural communities across New Mexico. Over more than a decade of programming, NM FAST has supported more than 470 New Mexico startups and helped companies secure nearly $28 million in federal SBIR awards. Targeted outreach is directed to rural, women, veteran and minority entrepreneurs.
The program is sponsored by the New Mexico Economic Development Department’s Technology and Innovation Office through the New Mexico Entrepreneurship Programmatic Support Grant, which supports continued statewide programming for SBIR/STTR-eligible companies in the four priority sectors.
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Applications are open now and will be accepted through July 14, 2026. Interested companies can apply at forms.gle/CqSwEL7LahqB5pGu9. Space is limited, and selected companies will be notified before the program launch.
SANTA FE, N.M. – Santa Fe County and Edgewood approved a new agreement and ordinance that secures ongoing fire and EMS services for Edgewood residents.
According to a joint announcement from the Town of Edgewood and Santa Fe County on June 19, the two governments negotiated and adopted a new Joint Powers Agreement and ordinance to keep the Santa Fe County Fire Department serving the town.
County and town representatives drafted the agreement together. The town adopted the ordinance unanimously at a special meeting on June 16, putting an end to weeks of uncertainty.
Santa Fe County District 3 Commissioner Camilla Bustamante said, “I believe we are all relieved to know that the people of Edgewood will continue to have the fire and EMS services necessary to protect their homes, their families, and their community. This community deserves nothing less.”
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The announcement said the ordinance takes effect five days after final publication. The statement also said no further action or approval is needed to guarantee continued fire suppression, fire prevention, and EMS services for Edgewood residents.
Both governments noted the agreement will continue indefinitely unless either side ends it with five years’ notice.
