FEMA will be set up in a trailer on the upper parking lot at the Mescalero Community Center. They will have individuals available for ANYONE wanting one-on-one help with applying for disaster survivor assistance.
Mescalero Community Center
8AM – 6:30PM starting June 26, 2024
Daily Update, Wednesday, June 26, 2024
Mescalero Apache Tribe Emergency Operations Center: 575-464-4341
Village of Ruidoso and Lincoln County Emergency Operations Center: 575-258-6900
Fire Information Phone:575-323-8378 or 575-323-8258
Media Information Phone: 575-323-8053
Phone Line Hours: 8 am – 8 pm
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: 949
Containment: South Fork – 64%; Salt – 55%
Fuels: mixed conifer, grass, pine/juniper
Resources: The South Fork and Salt fires are currently staffed with 21 crews, 6 helicopters, 54 engines, 8 bulldozers, and 13 water tenders.
Highlights:
An interactive property map is now available for the Village of Ruidoso. An online map is available to assist residents in identifying the status of property access, including properties available for re-entry and those in the No Entry/Exclusion Zones. See “More Information” below for the map link.
Residents and visitors are encouraged to celebrate our Nation’s Birthday, July 4th, without fireworks. We are getting close to celebrating our Nation’s Birthday, July 4th. The Mescalero Apache Reservation, Lincoln National Forest and municipal areas have areas that have not received significant rainfall, and fireworks could start new fires. Please celebrate without fireworks this year, so firefighters can complete their efforts to secure the perimeter of the South Fork and Salt fires.
Slow down. Motorists are reminded to slow down while traveling on the Mescalero Apache Reservation. There is still active fire, fire personnel, equipment and utility vehicles along US Highway 70. Help keep firefighters and crews safe by slowing down while traveling through the area.
Fire Activity: On Tuesday, as temperatures increased and fuels dried slightly, several smokes were observed by crews on the South Fork and Salt fires. This activity is the result of unburned and smoldering fuels igniting inside the fire area, including dead and downed trees/debris, snags, and stumps. Potential for these fuels to spread outside the current perimeter is minimal.
A lot of activity is still occurring across the fire area as crews work through structural assessments of buildings impacted by the fire, mop up and begin suppression repair. Cooperators, including utility providers and others are also traveling within the fire area. Area and neighborhood status and conditions are dynamic and will remain that way through the duration of the incident.
Weather: Temperatures will remain in the high 80s. Slow-moving scattered showers and thunderstorms will return in the afternoon, increasing the risk of flash floods and debris flows.
Smoke: Smoke production will remain light to moderate on Tuesday with the highest impacts during the early morning and late evening hours. Additional details are available at https://outlooks.wildlandfiresmoke.net/outlook/430b2c05.
Reentry: No evacuations are in place. However, designated “NO ENTRY/EXCLUSION ZONES” remain in place in some areas of the village. Visit https://www.ruidoso-nm.gov/south-fork-fire or contact the Village of Ruidoso and Lincoln County Emergency Operations Centers for more information.
Tribal members who have been displaced outside of the Mescalero Apache Reservation due to the fires are strongly encouraged to contact the Tribe’s Emergency Operations Center (EOC) to help you and your families get back to the reservation. If you’re stranded out of town at other evacuation sites, please call the EOC at 575-464-9214 for more details.
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.
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://www.tfr.faa.gov 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
Village of Ruidoso property status map: https://ruidoso.maps.arcgis.com/apps/instant/lookup/index.html?appid=e5a6b23bd2934ed192373e9ccbb4aee2
SLOW DOWN FOR THE SAFETY OF THE FIREFIGHTERS
Chief of Police James Vepley is requesting motorists to slow down while traveling on the Mescalero Apache Reservation.
There is still an active fire, fire personnel, equipment and utility vehicles along US Highway 70.
BIA has observed speeders doing in excess of 20 miles per hour over the speed limit on Highway 70 between the Summit and Route 4 (IMG turn off).
BIA has partnered with New Mexico State Police, New Mexico Department of Transportation, and the Southwest Fire Incident Management Command Law Enforcement Liaison to lower the speed limit in the Summit area to 45 miles per hour.
The main concern from BIA is the safety of the firefighters who are still stationed in this area.
Officers will be issuing citations for traffic violations with assistance from New Mexico State Police.
ALBUQUERQUE – The Department of Homeland Security, Federal Emergency Management Agency has issued an amendment adding Otero County and flooding to the notice of Major Disaster Declaration in New Mexico related to South Fork and Salt Fires as declared by the President on June 20, 2024.
Disaster Unemployment Assistance (DUA) is available to individuals whose employment or self-employment was lost or interrupted as a direct result of the 2024 Wildfires in the areas of Lincoln County, Otero County, and the Mescalero Apache Tribe.
The process to apply for DUA benefits includes two steps:
In addition to the standard hours of operation, the Department of Workforce Solutions, in collaboration with the Eastern Area Local Workforce Development Board will continue to provide services from the Roswell Convention Center.
Individuals who lost work or employment in the designated disaster areas must file DUA applications by August 19, 2024, DUA is available to those who:
Claimants should file as soon as possible. Applications filed after the August 19, 2024 deadline will be considered untimely, and DUA benefits may be denied unless the individual provides good cause for filing after that date.
Proof of employment/self-employment must be submitted no later than 21 days after filing for a DUA claim. The following documents are acceptable as proof of employment:
If an individual is self-employed, their 2023 federal income tax return and schedules can serve as proof of prior wages but does not substantiate their proof of employment at the time of the disaster.
DUA is available for weeks of unemployment beginning June 23, 2024 until December 21, 2024, as long as the individual’s unemployment continues to be a direct result of the disaster.
DUA applications are only accepted in person or by phone. If an individual applies for benefits by phone or in person, they will automatically receive their benefits via debit card unless they had a previous claim where they received direct deposit. A claimant can change their payment method to direct deposit at any time by logging onto their claimant homepage on the Unemployment Insurance Tax & Claims system at https://www.jobs.state.nm.us. Claimants who do not elect to receive payments through direct deposit should provide a safe address that will be accessible even during evacuation periods, and at which a trusted person will be receiving the mail.
Individuals who are applying in person for DUA may go to any New Mexico Workforce Connection Center (https://www.dws.state.nm.us/Office-Locations) to speak with an NMDWS representative Monday through Friday 8am-5pm.
Daily Update, Tuesday, June 25, 2024
Mescalero Apache Tribe Emergency Operations Center: 575-464-9214
Village of Ruidoso Emergency Operations Center: 575-464-9214
Fire Information Phone:575-323-8378 or 575-323-8258
Media Information Phone: 575-323-8053
Phone Line Hours: 8 am – 8 pm
Email: 2024.southfork@firenet.gov
Acres: South Fork – 17,556; Salt – 7,947
Start Date: June 17, 2024
Location: South Fork – Ruidoso Area, Salt – 7 mile west of Mescalero, NM
Personnel: 1,006
Containment: South Fork – 54%; Salt – 38%
Fuels: mixed conifer, grass, pine/juniper
Resources: The South Fork and Salt fires are currently staffed with 12 crews, 8 helicopters, 61 engines, 9 bulldozers, and 18 water tenders.
Highlights: Containment on the South Fork and Salt fires increased as crews continue working hard to seek out and address residual heat sources across the fire area.
Fire Activity: Fire activity has reduced significantly across the South Fork and Salt fires thanks to persistent scattered storms. While pockets of large, heavy, dead/downed fuels, snags, and stumps continue to smolder, growth potential along the perimeter will be very minimal.
On Monday, scattered thunderstorms caused localized flooding again, but crews were still able to access many areas of the South Fork and Salt fires and made good progress on structural assessments and containment operations.
Today, crews will focus on constructing direct control lines and mopping up hot spots where needed. Mop up will continue until full containment is reached, including removal of hazard trees and securing the fire perimeter. Additionally, crews will assist utility cooperators in gaining access to damaged areas to conduct assessments.
Weather: The fire area experienced noticeably warmer conditions on Monday. Today, temperatures will remain in the high 80s with lower chances of isolated showers. Wednesday will bring more moisture and higher potential for scattered rains.
Smoke: Smoke production will remain light to moderate on Monday. Additional details are available at https://outlooks.wildlandfiresmoke.net/outlook/430b2c05.
Evacuations: No evacuations are in place. However, designated “NO ENTRY/EXCLUSION ZONES” remain in place in some areas of the village. Use www.lincolncountynm.gov and www.ruidoso-nm.gov/south-fork-fire or contact the Emergency Operations Centers for more information.
Tribal members who have been displaced outside of the Mescalero Apache Reservation due to the fires are strongly encouraged to contact the Tribe’s Emergency Operations Center (EOC) to help you and your families get back to the reservation. If you’re stranded out of town at other evacuation sites, please call the EOC at 575-464-9214 for more details.
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.
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://www.tfr.faa.gov 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
Families & individuals who are directly affected by the South Fork & Salt Fires take priority in utilizing the services, efforts and items provided at the evacuation sites located at the Mescalero Community Center and IMG Convention Center.
If you are NOT DIRECTLY affected by the fires, we strongly urge you to stay clear of both evacuation sites.
We are being overwhelmed with individuals who were not and are not affected by the fires thus, creating difficulty in prioritizing the evacuees and those who are directly affected.
We are also providing resources and donations to Ruidoso residents who have lost their home or have been affected by the fires.
Please call the Tribe’s Emergency Operations Center at 575-464-9214 for more detailed information on how we can help you and your family resettle into your home.
State disaster recovery center, 24/7 hotline available to help connect people to resources and answer questions
SANTA FE, NM –State, federal, local and county agencies are working together to provide resources to those impacted by the South Fork and Salt fires.
A state Disaster Recovery Center is now open at the Roswell Convention Center and will remain open seven days a week from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Residents can get connected to Disaster Case Management and receive help coordinating both short-term and long-term resources.
In addition to Disaster Case Management resources, the following state agencies will be at the center to provide help with the following:
Applications for Federal Disaster Assistance are now open. Individuals in Lincoln County and the Mescalero Apache Tribe can apply online at www.DisasterAssistance.gov or call the FEMA application helpline at (800) 621-3362. Calls are accepted daily from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. Mountain Time.
FEMA will have a team available to help those impacted with applications for Federal Disaster Assistance beginning this weekend at shelter facilities.
Serious Needs Assistance (SNA) provides funding for households to cover important items like water, food, first aid, breast-feeding supplies, infant formula, diapers, personal hygiene items, fuel for transportation or other emergency supplies for eligible households.
Displacement Assistance (DA) provides people with up-front funds to assist with immediate housing options of their choice, to keep people housed. The money can be used to stay in a hotel, with family and friends or other options.
For those who cannot or do not wish to go to the Disaster Recovery Center, the following are resources available and how to get information or apply by calling the state’s 24/7 Fire Hotline at 1-833-663-4736 or visit dhsem.nm.gov/nmwildfires.
