First Alert: Relief Team en route to New Mexico in response to wildfires
World Central Kitchen’s Relief Team is on our way to south-central New Mexico to assess food and water needs created by the South Fork and Salt fires.
Residents of Ruidoso, NM were told Monday evening to evacuate immediately as two fires spread rapidly above and below the village. The larger South Fork Fire north of Ruidoso started Monday morning on the Mescalero Apache Reservation and is burning on U.S. Forest Service and tribal lands. The smaller Salt Fire south of Ruidoso is burning on reservation lands.
Both fires are rapidly spreading and uncontained. High winds are contributing to the difficulties on the ground. Evacuation orders have also been issued for parts of the Mescalero Apache Reservation. In total 8,000 residents in and around Ruidoso have been told to evacuate by local government officials and tribal leaders.
WCK Relief Team members are en route to assess the communities’ and first responders’ needs for food and water, and will determine if more support is needed. This is WCK’s second wildfire response in New Mexico where we supported families in 2022 when multiple blazes spread across northern parts of the state. We provided nearly 60,000 meals to impacted communities in response to those fires.
This remains a quickly evolving situation. You can sign up to our newsletter to receive more information and follow us on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook for real time updates.
