RUIDOSO, N.M. – While Monday’s reopening may seem like a big step forward, Ruidoso village leaders are clear the crisis is not over yet.

The South Fork and Salt fires started burning just one week ago, and that means the recovery teams only got to work a few days ago.

Fire officials still estimate 1,400 structures are destroyed, and Lincoln County leaders say that number includes roughly 1,000 homes.

Officials already confirmed two people were killed in these fires, but at least 29 people are still missing right now. It appears village leaders believe they may be in the exclusion zones.

Village leaders say Urban Search and Rescue Teams are still surveying the areas with cadaver dogs, and they can’t allow returning residents to get in the way of that.

“We do have a lot of people unaccounted for it this time. I’m not saying that they may be at shelter somewhere, we haven’t found them. So those will become crime scenes, once the bodies discovered or remnants, then they have to come in and forensically take care of that. That takes time. So we have all those areas boxed off,” said Ruidoso Mayor Lynn Crawford. 

Village leaders revealed Sunday recovery teams have already identified more potential deaths, but it appears those are still under investigation.

The FBI is also on the ground right now, but for a completely different investigation. The agency is now offering a $10,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of anyone involved with starting the South Fork and Salt fires.

There is no official cause right now, but this new reward strongly suggests both fires are human-caused.

There are many theories circulating on social media and around the community right now, including that the fires were started by teens, and at least one person was arrested.

KOB 4 reached out to the FBI about those theories, but they have not revealed any information about their investigation.