RUIDOSO — As residents of the Ruidoso and Alto area watched from afar Tuesday, the South Fork and Salt Fires continued to blaze with no immediate end in sight. The U.S. Forest Service reported Tuesday afternoon that the South Fork Fire, burning just along the northwestern outskirts of Ruidoso, had grown to 13,921 acres in size and was listed at 0% containment. The USFS estimated 500 structures have been impacted.

Witnesses in the area reported Tuesday via social media that the Alto Cafe was confirmed to have been among the structures consumed. The Salt Fire, meanwhile, burning south of Ruidoso, had grown to 4,876 acres as of Tuesday afternoon and was also listed at 0% containment.

Evacuation orders remained in effect for the entire Village of Ruidoso and Ruidoso Downs, along with Chatto Bluff, Snow Springs, Fence Canyon, Whitetail, Chihuahua Well, Botella Road, Apache Summit, Fantasy Lane, homes along U.S. 70 from N.M. 244 to the eastern edge of the Mescalero Apache Reservation, Bear Canyon and Snow Canyon.

Roads into Ruidoso remain closed, and residents and travelers are asked to stay away from the area.

The South Fork Fire was discovered around 9 a.m. Monday and grew at an extremely rapid rate. The cause of the fire remains under investigation. Fire behavior is described as “creeping” with concerns remaining that high winds in the area could push the fire further to the east.

The blaze is being managed by a Type 3 incident commander with resources from agencies including the Bureau of Indian Affairs, the Mescalero Apache Reservation, the USFS, Lincoln County, Otery County, the Village of Ruidoso and Ruidoso Downs.

The Salt Fire was discovered around 2 p.m. Monday and is creeping through difficult, mountainous terrain. Aircraft were identifying spots closest to Ruidoso Downs for slurry efforts Tuesday afternoon.