World Central Kitchen’s Relief Team was on the ground providing food and water to people impacted by the South Fork and Salt fires. The larger South Fork Fire north of Ruidoso started on the Mescalero Apache Reservation and burned both U.S. Forest Service and tribal lands. The smaller Salt Fire south of Ruidoso also burned reservation lands, and it took weeks for the two fires to be contained.
The team on the ground assessed fluctuating needs in Roswell, El Capitan, and Alamogordo, as well as in the Mescalero Apache Reservation. They set up central distribution sites with local food trucks, as well as delivering to shelters and homes that need meals.
In total, 8,000 residents in and around the fires had to evacuate and displacement was very decentralized, with people finding safety in shelters, or staying with relatives and friends. We were able to work with local governments, tribal leaders, and NGOs to ensure that we didn't overlap efforts, and reached everyone who needed aid.
This was 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.
