President Biden declares major disaster, unlocks federal aid for Ruidoso

President Joseph Biden approved a Major Disaster Declaration for Lincoln County and the Mescalero Apache Tribe to help combat the effects of the South Fork and Salt fires currently burning in Lincoln County, Otero County and the Mescalero Apache Reservation. 

The President’s action makes Federal funding available to affected individuals in Lincoln County and the Mescalero Apache Tribe.

Assistance can include grants for temporary housing and home repairs, low-cost loans to cover uninsured property losses, and other programs to help individuals and business owners recover from the effects of the disaster. Federal funding is also available to State, tribal, and eligible local governments and certain private nonprofit organizations on a cost-sharing basis for emergency work in Lincoln County and the Mescalero Apache Tribe.

As of Thursday afternoon, the two fired had combined to burn an estimated 23,406 acres and destroyed an estimated 1,400 structures, causing the evacuation of thousands of residents. The fires have also resulted in two deaths, officials said.

“We commend President Biden for approving the Major Disaster Declaration so quickly," U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich said in a statement on Wednesday. "The South Fork and Salt Fires are serious and threatening multiple communities, with two confirmed fatalities and hundreds of homes and businesses already destroyed. Our thoughts are with the families of those who have been lost to these fires and the thousands of New Mexicans who have had to flee their homes."

Heinrich, along with U.S. Senator Ben Ray Luján and U.S. Representatives Teresa Leger Fernández, Melanie Stansbury and Gabe Vasquez sent a letter on Wednesday to the Biden Administration urging the President to grant the request for a major disaster declaration made by Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham.

"My heart goes out to the families in Mescalero and Ruidoso who have been forced to leave their homes," Vasquez said in a statement.

"Our delegation will continue to pressure the Administration and other federal agencies to also bring much needed relief that is dignified during this time of need and emergency response.”

The State of New Mexico has requested Public Assistance, Category A and B, including Direct Federal Assistance and Individual Assistance for Lincoln County, Otero County, and the Mescalero Apache Tribe. Major Disaster Declarations can be amended to include additional areas and assistance, and FEMA is still working to assess a declaration for Otero County.