RUIDOSO, N.M. — It’s been one crisis after another in Ruidoso this week, from destructive wildfires to dangerous flash floods. So one local celebrity is spreading some love to the men and women keeping Ruidoso running.

Johnny James made the special trip down to the village Friday.

“I reached out to Blake’s and of course, they were on board,” James said. “We brought hundreds of burritos down here for all of the rescue workers.”

James mobilized his social media following almost immediately after the South Fork and Salt fires ripped through parts of Ruidoso. He’s already raised more than $44,000 for evacuees.

James said he was heartbroken – but also inspired – to learn several men and women working at the village’s Emergency Operations Center are wildfire victims themselves.

“They’re still here with boots on the ground, working, they haven’t even had a chance to even process that their home and everything that they have is gone,” James said.

Despite five days of crisis management, Ruidoso Mayor Lynn Crawford says the emergency response team is in good spirits.

“Feeling encouraged that we’re, you know, we’re ready to go ahead and get this event down, they’re starting to make progress on the fire,” Crawford said.

But the battle is far from over.

“We’re being told about the flood event, so the last thing we want to do is bring in everybody and then create another rescue mission, when we’ve already taxed all the resources possible through the state,” Crawford said.

James says he’s ready to help out however he can.

“I know I’m only one person, but like I’ve said a thousand times now, I’ve got a big platform, if I don’t use it to help our people when it’s time, then what’s the point in having it,” James said.

To donate to the GoFundMe James organized, click here.