Jun. 24—Twenty-nine people remained unaccounted for Monday as evacuation orders were lifted for the South Fork and Salt fires in Ruidoso, although the mayor said he expects that number to fall as families continue to unite.

Mayor Lynn Crawford said search-and-rescue crews with cadaver dogs are still combing through burn areas in the town of just under 8,000, with searchers looking more carefully in places where the dogs give them an alert. No new human fatalities had been discovered, however, as of early Monday evening.

“So far today on the hits it’s just been animals, elk, deer, things like that,” Crawford told The New Mexican.

Two people have been confirmed dead in the fires, which ignited June 17 on the Mescalero Apache Reservation and prompted the evacuations of Ruidoso, Ruidoso Downs and parts of the reservation.

While evacuation orders were lifted Monday morning, some swaths of the area will remain off-limits until they’ve been cleared by search-and-rescue teams, officials said.

Crawford said Ruidoso’s sprawling network of roads have made it necessary to shut off many routes through the village, and some people whose houses are standing are blocked because neighbors’ homes have been damaged or destroyed.

“Some are a little disgruntled,” Crawford said, adding it’s imperative that each burned property be searched for human remains.

The list of 29 missing people, whose names haven’t been released, has been winnowed down from more than 80, he said, which came from several sources following evacuations that community members have described as chaotic. The rushed flee from the raging fire last week also occurred amid widespread cell service and internet outages.

“We’re still looking at that list to shrink,” Crawford said.

People who previously reported they weren’t able to contact someone but have since gotten in touch are urged to update the emergency hotline, 575-258-6900.

The South Fork Fire, at 17,551 acres, was 37% contained as of Monday morning, while the 7,816-acre Salt Fire was 7% contained.

Monsoon rains — which limited crews’ access to the fire over the weekend and helped reduce the fire to “smoldering and creeping” by Monday morning — are a major concern for the week ahead.

National Weather Service forecaster Matt DeMaria said Wednesday and Thursday could see high risks of flash flooding, even overnight Wednesday.

“We’re expecting pretty significant impacts and want to make sure everybody’s aware of this for Wednesday and Thursday,” he said.

The Ruidoso-area burn scar is at risk of more flooding, said Josh Schroeder, a National Weather Service science and operations officer, as is the Hermits Peak/Calf Canyon burn scar area in Northern New Mexico.

Before the rains, though, is one more hot day.

DeMaria said the heat Tuesday could be particularly concerning for people returning home to the Ruidoso area who may not have electricity to power air conditioning. That heat, which could reach 104 degrees in Roswell on Tuesday, will also be fairly humid, he said.

He added, “104 in Roswell with a higher dew point is going to feel a lot worse.”

State officials announced Monday they would be opening a shelter at White Mountain Recreation Center in Ruidoso to house people still displaced by the fires and flooding.

The state has also established a resource box distribution center at the Roswell National Guard Armory where people affected by the fires can pick up hygiene kits, personal protective equipment, a week’s worth of food and some clothing.

Lincoln County Medical Center has reopened.

The Smokey Bear Ranger District of the Lincoln National Forest remains closed, and temporary flight restriction is still in place in the fire area, which means flying public or commercial drones is prohibited.

Meanwhile, an inquiry into the cause of the South Fork and Salt fires remains ongoing. The FBI is helping state, tribal and local officials with that investigation and is offering a $10,000 reward for information that leads to the criminal conviction of anyone who might have caused them.

Rumors have circulated on social media the fires could have been started intentionally, and the Mescalero Apache Tribe asked several weeks ago for community members to come forward with tips about anyone involved with a series of fires on the tribe’s lands.

Authorities have not yet confirmed whether they believe those fires are related to the South Fork and Salt fires.

Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham said Monday in a statement she’s supportive of the investigation.

“I am in contact with federal officials about the fire disaster in southern New Mexico, and the FBI has my full support and cooperation in its investigation,” Lujan Grisham said. “Out of respect for the important work of federal investigators, I’ll refrain from additional comment on the cause of the fires until an official determination is made.”