FBI offers $10,000 reward for information about South Fork and Salt fires’ cause

Austin Fisher
·3 min read

A flyer published on June 22, 2024 by the FBI Albuquerque Division asks the public for information about the origins of the South Fork and Salt fires. (Image courtesy of FBI Albuquerque)

Federal police are seeking help from the public about the cause of a wildfire in southeastern New Mexico that has killed two, injured one and destroyed hundreds of buildings.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation Albuquerque Division on Saturday night published a flyer and media alert saying they’re asking for help from the public “in identifying the cause” of the South Fork and Salt fires near the Village of Ruidoso and the Mescalero Apache Tribe.

FBI is offering a $10,000 reward “for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person or persons responsible for starting the fires.”

“We ask that anyone who may have any information pertaining to the cause of the fires to please call 1-800-CALL-FBI or online at tips.fbi.gov,” the agency wrote.

Tipsters can also text “BIAMMU” to 847411 then “MESCALERO FIRE + the tip” or just BIAMMU to 847411 and the tip.

The cause of the fires remains “undetermined,” according to the latest incident status summary report published at 11:35 a.m. on Sunday by the Southwest Area Team 5.

Margot Cravens, a spokesperson for the FBI’s Albuquerque field office, declined to comment on whether the agency’s involvement in the investigation indicates that a possible crime has been alleged.

Cravens also declined to answer the Santa Fe New Mexican whether the FBI believes the fires were intentionally set on tribal lands, or whether the agency believes both were ignited by the same suspect or suspects.

FBI told CNN on Thursday they’re helping local authorities investigate the fires’ cause.

A Source New Mexico review of records from the Alamogordo Interagency Dispatch Center shows a cluster of confirmed fire starts on June 16, 17 and 18. Among the cluster are two fire starts that incident commanders have listed as the ignition points of what became the fires.

Data show the last lighting strike in the area of the fires was 10 days before they started.

Public records and lightning data shed new light on Salt and South Fork fire origins

Ruidoso and several other communities nearby remain evacuated, according to the incident commanders’ report, and homes, buildings and infrastructure remain threatened by the fire.

The South Fork fire was 17,551 acres, and 31% contained, according to the report, while the Salt fire was at 7,775 acres and 7% contained.

Incident commanders were last updated on how many structures have been lost around June 19, when they were told 600 homes were destroyed, and another 8,000 are threatened, according to the report.

There was minimal fire activity as rains reached the area over the last couple of days.

Over the next week, high pressure in the area will warm up and dry out the air, and slow the winds, according to the report. Even though last week’s storm moved out, there will be enough moisture over the Sacramento mountains for some rainfall and thunderstorms, the report states.

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