Lincoln and Otero County residents, including the Mescalero Apache Tribe, may apply beginning July 10, 2024  

SANTA FE – The New Mexico Health Care Authority (HCA) announced today that New Mexicans affected by the South Fork and Salt fires may be eligible for Disaster Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (D-SNAP) benefits.   

Those affected can apply for D-SNAP from July 10-12, 2024, and July 14-17, 2024.  At Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham’s request, the state has received federal approval to implement D-SNAP for Lincoln and Otero counties, including the Mescalero Apache Reservation. Approximately 18,000 residents were impacted and may be eligible to apply for D-SNAP benefits. This includes community members who live or work in the following Lincoln County zip codes: 88355, 88345, 88346, and 88312, as well as those in Otero County, including the Mescalero Apache Reservation zip code of 88340.   

These areas were included in the Presidential Disaster Declaration for the South Fork and Salt fires.  “We are grateful for our federal partners’ assistance as New Mexicans face the impact of these devastating wildfires and flooding. Their support, along with the efforts of our dedicated staff, will help more families as we work together to rebuild our communities,” said Kari Armijo, Cabinet Secretary for the New Mexico Health Care Authority. “We want to assure New Mexicans that we are here to support them during this challenging time.”     

Impacted residents can apply for D-SNAP at the following locations:   

• Horton Complex: 237 Service Rd, Ruidoso, NM 88348 
• Roswell ISD Field Office: 1701 S. Sunset Ave, Roswell, NM 88203 
• Alamogordo ISD Field Office: 2000 Juniper Drive, Alamogordo, NM 88310 

Applications will be accepted from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily, starting Wednesday, July 10, through Wednesday, July 17. Please note that all sites will be closed on Saturday, July 13.  On Sunday, July 14, D-SNAP sites will be open from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., and the Call Center will be closed. 

Residents unable to drive to the D-SNAP locations may call 1-800-283-4465 to apply by phone, document their case, and verbally attest their information.  

To be eligible, residents may qualify if their home or belongings were damaged or destroyed or have experienced a loss or reduction in income and have unreimbursed disaster-related expenses, due to the disaster. Eligible households will receive one month of D-SNAP benefits to purchase groceries at SNAP-authorized stores or select online retailers. These benefits will be deposited onto an Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) card, allowing applicants to use it like a debit card at authorized retailers. 

Additionally, participating SNAP households in the impacted areas, not already receiving the maximum benefit amount for their household size will automatically receive a supplement to increase their benefits to the monthly SNAP allotment for one month.   

Households that purchased food with their SNAP benefits and had it destroyed due to the disaster have until July 17, 2024, to request a replacement of SNAP benefits. To make a request for replacement, call 1-800-283-4465, or any of the D-SNAP site locations. HCA staff will determine applicants’ eligibility. The only requirement to apply for D-SNAP is to verify your identity and have information about your household’s income and any expense related to the disaster. The table below shows the benefit levels:  

To ensure one-on-one guidance, HCA will assist residents alphabetically by last name for the first three days of the application period. The remaining four days will be open to all applicants, regardless of their last name.  

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If your home was damaged by the South Fork and Salt Fires and floods, but you can safely live in it, FEMA may be able to provide up to $300 in one-time financial assistance to help with cleanup. This assistance is available to eligible homeowners and renters. You may qualify for FEMA Clean and Sanitize Assistance if you meet the following criteria:

Your fire- or flood-damaged primary residence is in Lincoln or Otero County or on the Mescalero Apache Reservation.

1. A FEMA inspection has verified your home has disaster damage. The inspection noted that cleanup actions are needed or have already been undertaken.
2. If you have already cleaned up, save your receipts for supplies, materials or paid help.
3. The damage is not covered by your insurance.
4. FEMA has determined your damaged home is safe to occupy.

New Mexico residents who are eligible for FEMA Clean and Sanitize Assistance may also be eligible for additional forms of federal assistance. Clean and Sanitize Assistance is intended to ensure minimal damage to the home is addressed in a timely manner to prevent additional losses and potential health and safety concerns.

Apply for FEMA Disaster Assistance

To be eligible for any FEMA Individual Assistance program, you must apply to FEMA. There are four ways to apply:

1. Go online to disasterassistance.gov/
2. Download the FEMA App for mobile devices at fema.gov/about/news-multimedia/mobile-products
3. Call the FEMA Helpline at 800-621-3362 between 6 a.m. and 10 p.m. Help is available in most languages. If you use a relay service, such as video relay (VRS), captioned telephone or other service, give FEMA your number for that service.
4. Visit the Disaster Recovery Center in Roswell. For location and hours, go online to fema.gov/drc

For an accessible video on how to apply for assistance, visit youtube.com/watch= WZGpWI2RCNw. For the latest information on the New Mexico recovery visit fema.gov/disaster/4795. Follow the FEMA Region 6 X account at X.com/FEMARegion6 or on Facebook at facebook.com/FEMARegion6.

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Daily Update, Wednesday, July 3, 2024

Mescalero Apache Tribe Emergency Operations Center: 575-464-9214 (8am-6pm) 

Village of Ruidoso and Lincoln County Emergency Operations Center: 575-258-6900 (7am-10pm) 

Fire Information Phone:575-323-8378 or 575-323-8258 (8am-8pm) 

Media Information Phone: 575-323-8053 (8am-8pm) 

Email: 2024.southfork@firenet.gov 

Acres: South Fork – 17,569; Salt – 7,939

Start Date: June 17, 2024 

Location: South Fork – Ruidoso Area, Salt – 7 miles west of Mescalero, NM

Personnel: 532

Containment: South Fork – 87%; Salt – 84% 

Fuels: mixed conifer, grass, pine/juniper  

Resources: The South Fork and Salt fires are currently staffed with 11 crews, 1 helicopter, 16 engines,  
2 bulldozers, and 5 water tenders. 

Highlights:  

Fireworks – Fireworks are always prohibited on the Lincon National Forest. On the Mescalero Apache Indian Reservation, fireworks are only allowed as part of an organized event. 

Fire restrictions – Fire restrictions have been updated for Mescalero Apache Tribal lands. Details available in “Closures”, below. 

Flood mitigation – On Tuesday, crews once again supported flood mitigation efforts, filling an  

additional 28,000 sandbags for the community, bringing the 2-day total of filled sandbags to over  

46,000. 

Fire Activity: Fire activity remains limited on the South Fork and Salt fires. Remaining heat sources on the South Fork Fire are downed logs away from control lines. Hot spots on the Salt Fire remain within dense conifer stands and snags and do not threaten containment.  

Suppression repair crews will work across the South Fork and Salt fire area today. If conditions permit, crews will focus on repair of bulldozer roads and hand lines as well as chipping operations. 

While monsoon season is in progress across the region, dry fuels are still present due to the continuation of the long-term drought affecting the area. Large diameter fuels, like dead/down logs, are dry for this time of year. As the 4th of July holiday approaches, please refrain from using fireworks, as these can cause new ignitions in dry persistent dry fuels.  

Weather: Wednesday brings light clouds across the fire area, temperatures in the mid-80s and light potential for scattered rain. The remainder of the week will include a mix of warm, dry weather, followed by more scattered storms. 

Closures and Restrictions: A South Fork Fire Emergency Closure Order was issued on June 20, 2024, for national forest lands within the Smokey Bear Ranger District. More information is available at www.fs.usda.gov/alerts/lincoln/alerts-notices/?aid=88199.  

The Mescalero Apache Tribe issued an updated Class V/Stage II – Extreme Fire Restriction Notice on July 1, 2024. More information is available on the Mescalero Apache Tribe Facebook page at www.facebook.com/mescaleroapachetribe. 

A Temporary Flight Restriction (TFR) is in place over the fire area. Public/commercial drone flights are also prohibited within this area. If you fly, we may have to ground our air resources. Visit https://tfr.faa.gov/tfr2/list.html for more information. 

More information:  

Inciweb: https://inciweb.wildfire.gov/incident-information/nmmea-south-fork-and-salt  

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SWIMT5  

Lincoln County Government: www.lincolncountynm.gov 

Mescalero Apache Tribe: https://mescaleroapachetribe.com   

Village of Ruidoso: www.ruidoso-nm.gov/south-fork-fire 

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All Probationer’s/Parolees

The Mescalero Probation Department will be close for the 4^th of July and Ceremonial Holiday, if your required to call in/check in weekly. Please call into your probation officer on your required call in/check in date. From July 4^th through July 8^th 2024. The Probation Department will re-open Tuesday, July 9^th.  

Nena Evans                 575-551-1822

Rosynelle Smith          575-921-5123

Anna Scott                  575-921-5114

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If you still want to help, then we encourage you to donate to fundraisers intended to support recovery efforts for the Village of Ruidoso, Ruidoso Downs, and Alto. Thank you to everyone that donated. Your support means a lot.

Official link of the GoFundMe: https://gofund.me/426794a2

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Head Start Enrollment Days July 9th & 10th at the Mescalero Library from 9AM to 3PM

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Daily Update, Tuesday, July 2, 2024 

Mescalero Apache Tribe Emergency Operations Center: 575-464-9214 (8am-6pm) 

Village of Ruidoso and Lincoln County Emergency Operations Center: 575-258-6900 (7am-10pm) 

Fire Information Phone:575-323-8378 or 575-323-8258 (8am-8pm) 

Media Information Phone: 575-323-8053 (8am-8pm) 

Email: 2024.southfork@firenet.gov 

Acres: South Fork – 17,569; Salt – 7,939

Start Date: June 17, 2024 

Location: South Fork – Ruidoso Area, Salt – 7 mile west of Mescalero, NM

Personnel: 608

Containment: South Fork – 85%; Salt – 84% 

Fuels: mixed conifer, grass, pine/juniper  

Resources: The South Fork and Salt fires are currently staffed with 13 crews, 1 helicopter, 21 engines,  
2 bulldozers, and 6 water tenders. 

Highlights: The fire area saw clearer skies on Monday, allowing firefighters to focus their efforts on supporting flood mitigation operations on the South Fork fire. In total, hotshots and support crews filled 18,000 sandbags in support of these efforts. Additionally, structure assessment crews have successfully triaged over 4,000 structures across the fire area. 

Fire Activity: The South Fork and Salt fires received consistent isolated and scattered precipitation for several days. Thanks to this moisture, hot spots on the South Fork remain suppressed and will remain quiet until a drying trend occurs. Remaining heat sources on the South Fork fire are located interior of control lines and do not post a threat to the perimeter. 

On the Salt Fire, firefighters have observed a few hot spots on the southeast corner. Fire within this area will continue to smolder and produce small amounts of localized smoke. Smoke with not impact nearby roadways and heat sources are unlikely to grow, nor do they pose a threat to containment lines.  

Weather: After a calmer weather day on Monday, Tuesday will bring an increase in scattered storm activity. Maintain awareness of changing weather conditions and flash flood warnings.  

Closures: A South Fork Fire Emergency Closure Order was issued on June 20, 2024, for national forest lands within the Smokey Bear Ranger District. The identified areas, and roads and trails therein, are closed to public access to allow firefighting personnel to work and through the fire area safely. More information is available at www.fs.usda.gov/alerts/lincoln/alerts-notices/?aid=88199.  

The Mescalero Apache Tribe issued a Class V/Stage II – Extreme Fire Restriction Notice on June 28, 2024. More information is available at https://mescaleroapachetribe.com.  

A Temporary Flight Restriction (TFR) is in place over the fire area. Public/commercial drone flights are also prohibited within this area. If you fly, we may have to ground our air resources. Visit https://tfr.faa.gov/tfr2/list.html for more information. 

More information:  

Inciweb: https://inciweb.wildfire.gov/incident-information/nmmea-south-fork-and-salt  

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SWIMT5  

Smoke Outlook: https://outlooks.wildlandfiresmoke.net/outlook/430b2c05 

Lincoln County Government: www.lincolncountynm.gov 

Mescalero Apache Tribe: https://mescaleroapachetribe.com   

Village of Ruidoso: www.ruidoso-nm.gov/south-fork-fire 

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The FEMA Disaster Recovery Center (DRC) will be set-up at the Mescalero Apache Schools from 8AM-6PM starting July 3rd.

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