THURSDAY UPDATE! PRAY ON TEAM JESUS! NM Wildfires: 2 Die, 23,000 Acres Burned, NM Forestry Report, NM Baptist Disaster Relief, Fundraising Efforts

My spirit is so very disturbed as to what is happening in the state. Two precious souls have died and many lives have changed forever. Many have lost everything! Try and put yourself in their shoes. Are you helping those in need?

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My spirit is so very disturbed as to what is happening in the state. Two precious souls have died and many lives have changed forever. Many have lost everything! Try and put yourself in their shoes. New Mexico even had flash floods yesterday, KOB TV WEATHER ALERTS, a 23 car pile up on I-25 about 20 miles from Albuquerque. Interstate 25 reopens after 18 hurt in vehicle crash pile up

How is your Church helping people that have been hurt be these disasters?

KOB TV:  Evacuations remain in place for all of Ruidoso and the surrounding area as the South Fork Fire and the Salt Fire continue their rapid growth.

New Mexico State Police confirmed Wednesday that two people have died in connection to the wildfires. More Here

Baptist Press

By Scott Barkley, posted June 19, 2024 in Disaster Relief

ROSWELL, N.M. (BP) — Chaplains and feeding units with the New Mexico Baptist Disaster Relief are working at two Red Cross shelters in response to two wildfires in the southern part of the state.

Early stages of a wildfire were taken by a New Mexico Disaster Relief volunteer near Ruidoso, N.M. Photo by Nancy Schmidt

State director Ed Greene told Baptist Press today that one team is at the Eastern New Mexico University-Roswell campus. The other is located at Capitan High School in Capitan, 10 miles north of the mountain tourist village of Ruidoso.

Two blazes – the South Fork Fire and Salt Fire – essentially surround Ruidoso and have burned more than 24,000 acres, (KOB TV is reporting 23,000 acres) with smoke cover extending as far as Iowa.

“As of this morning our feeding operation is expanding to supply other shelters in the areas as well, so things are rather fluid,” Greene said. More Here

New Mexico New Mexico State Forestry Division:

Public Information Line: 575-323-8258
Media Information Line: 575-323-8053
Phone Line Hours: 8 am – 8 pm
Email: 2024.southfork@firenet.gov
Acres: South Fork – 16,335; Salt – 7,071           Start Date: June 17, 2024
Location: Ruidoso, NM Personnel: 254
Containment: 0%       Fuels: mixed conifer, grass, pine/juniper
Resources:  Crews, heavy equipment, engines, helicopters and air tankers.
Highlights: Southwest Area Team 5, led by Incident Commander Dave Gesser, assumed command of the South Fork and Salt fires at 6:00AM, Wednesday, June 19, 2024.
Fire Activity: Extreme fire behavior occurred across the South Fork and Salt fires on Tuesday, with crowning and long-range spotting observed. Aviation resources, including fixed wing air tankers and helicopters, conducted water and retardant drops throughout the day. Air resources worked in conjunction with ground resources, firefighters and heavy equipment, to continue constructing fireline including around structures. Firefighters quickly secured a spot fire on the South Fork Fire Tuesday.
Fire crews, heavy equipment and additional resources will continue building fireline on both the South Fork and Salt fires while air resources will assist from the sky with ongoing water and retardant drops. Firefighters will be alert for spot fires and respond quickly to all fire threats. Changing wind direction and potential for afternoon thunderstorms could create challenging conditions for firefighter in the air and on the ground. Firefighting resources continue to arrive and will be briefed on current fire conditions before going to the fireline.
Weather: The fire area experienced strong southwest flow yesterday. Tuesday night, winds shifted out of the east/southeast to begin bringing gulf moisture into the Sacramento Mountains Wednesday. Afternoon showers and thunderstorms to the east of the fire area are expected with temperatures in the mid to high 80s and 10-20mph winds.
Smoke: Smoke will continue to be observed across both the South Fork and Salt fires today. Individuals sensitive to smoke should take precautions and use the New Mexico Department of Health 5-3-1 Visibility Method to determine if it’s safe to be outside. For more information visit Air Quality: https://nmtracking.doh.nm.gov/environment/air/FireAndSmoke.html
Evacuations: A State of Emergency for the Mescalero Apache Reservation has been implemented by the Tribal Council. Evacuations remain in-place. Village of Ruidoso and City of Ruidoso Downs are in “GO” evacuation status. Road closures are also in effect. Numerous additional evacuation orders have been issued including Fantasy Lane, Summit area, Botella Road, Snow Springs, Fence Canyon, Whitetail, and Chihuahua Well. Please stay out of the fire area to allow firefighters safe access into the area and allow them to work safely.  There are hazards in the area including fire weakened trees, downed power lines, and potential for exposed gas lines.
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George Ducker
Communications Coordinator
New Mexico State Forestry Division – EMNRD
george.ducker@emnrd.nm.gov
505-699-0601

New Mexico musician and influencer Johnny James has launched a verified GoFundMe to help those affected by the wildfires.

Donations to the GoFundMe are tax-deductible through GoFundMe.org, and will support community relief efforts and enable grants to individuals impacted to help them purchase immediate relief needs including hotel rooms, food and water, and transportation.

“I’ve lived in New Mexico my whole life, along with my entire family,” James said on GoFundMe. “I’m a musician, entertainer, and creator. We don’t often have a lot of people speaking up for New Mexico, and I want to use my platform to reach as many people as possible so we can help families and communities affected by the fires.”

The fundraiser can be found on GoFundMe’s New Mexico Wildfire Relief hub, which houses all verified fundraisers related to the wildfires.

“We are working closely with local authorities to ensure transparency and accountability,” James said. “Your contribution will be utilized quickly and effectively to provide relief directly to those suffering from this disaster and to verified non-profit organizations providing relief. We are committed to transparency and will provide updates on the allocation of funds and the impact of your generosity.”

To make it easier for people who want to help those affected, GoFundMe has launched a centralized hub housing all verified fundraisers related to the New Mexico wildfires. Our Trust & Safety team will continue to update the hub with more fundraisers as they are verified.

You can learn more about our Trust & Safety practices on our safety hub, as well as find tips that can be shared with your audiences.

Melanie Standage (Yost)

Communications Manager & Spokesperson

Pastor Bill Ruhl, Vice Chairman of FGGAM

“Out of Control” Prayer by Pastor Bill Ruhl

Lord Jesus, we lift up those who have been so severely impacted by this “Out of Control” raging inferno of fires that has ignited across southwest New Mexico over the past few days.  You Who controls the wind and the rain, unleash a deluge from the heavens over this area and extinguish the flames of destruction down to the last ember!

We call forth your hedge of protection over all the different agencies involved in not only fighting this fire, but also those putting themselves in harm’s way to assist the thousands of residents as they evacuate the area.  Prayers of blessing over those businesses and residents from the surrounding communities who have opened their doors to house all who have been forced to flee and provided refuge for livestock, and pets as well.

Lord, open up access to every asset available for the rebuilding process that is to follow this tragedy.  Let there be no delay and streamline the process to obtain all the necessary resources to restore all that has been lost.  Comfort those who are hurting after experiencing the loss of not only their homes, businesses, and belongings, but especially those who may have suffered injury or loss of life.

We pray earnestly that Your perfect peace, Jesus, would guard the hearts and minds of Your people during this difficult time.  Amen!

– Pastor Bill Ruhl of Global Destiny and Vice Chair of FGGAM

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