New Mexico governor declares state of emergency in Ruidoso area due to wildfires
RUIDOSO, N.M. — Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham issued an executive order declaring a state of emergency in Lincoln County and the Mescalero Apache Reservation.
The order will free up additional funding and resources to help fight the South Fork Fire and the Salt Fire.
“Today we have two devastating, enormous fires. When I say enormous fires, it means that they are getting more and more complicated to address,” said Lujan Grisham.
Lujan Grisham says so far one person has died in the wildfires. She also says people are calling fire hotlines looking for family members. Although she doesn’t know how many people are missing.
“I don’t have an accurate number. I don’t know that anyone does,” Lujan Grisham said. “Again, if you believe that you’ve got a loved one that is in jeopardy, we want to know about it. We want to do everything we can to locate it.”
The governor on Monday also deployed the National Guard to the area to help wherever needed during the emergency. Her administration released additional funding Tuesday morning to boost the National Guard’s presence there.
Additional New Mexico State Police are headed to the scene to help with traffic, patrols in the burned areas and other tasks.
“The message to New Mexicans is that every resource available while we combat these fires is available. More than 17 agencies are on the ground working together, both federal and state. More than 800 personnel are on the ground providing services, acting as first responders and battling the fires,” said Lujan Grisham.
That includes 13 hot shot crews, and several other specialty fire teams.
“We are doing everything we can safely, and we are concerned about the safety of the firefighters, the aircraft pilots, the residents and the visitors,” said Laura McCarthy, a New Mexico State Forester.
If you are having difficulty locating a missing loved one due to a disaster event, please call 1-800-Red Cross (1-800-733-2767) for reunification support. There is also a Reunite Ruidoso Facebook page.
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Read the governor’s full executive order here: