The South Fork Fire Was Lightning Caused, FBI Still Offering $10K For Information Leading To Arrests For The Salt Fire.
New Mexico Update:
The Bureau of Indian Affairs issued an announcement today regarding the South Fork and Salt Fires. After their multi-agency investigation, they determined that the South Fork Fire was lightning-caused. However, in the same release, they reiterated that the FBI is still offering a $10K reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person or persons responsible for starting the Salt Fire.
Not gunna lie, it seems odd. 🤷♂️
As I discussed on the podcast after these fires started, it was reported that during the initial briefing for the Team coming in, they heard that these fires were both lightning-caused and human-caused. Folks were puzzled by this, but we now have a little more clarity on that topic. It could actually be what the Team was told initially; it’s possibly both.
There was lighting in the area before the fires broke out, which I presented, as did Source New Mexico. However, it was days previous and not in the exact location of the fire’s start point. Then the FBI came in and offered $10K for information leading to arrests.
As the full release below explains, The South Fork was determined to be caused by one of those previous lighting strikes, and the Salt Fire may have been human-caused.
The BIA Statement:
Wildland fire and law enforcement investigators completed the investigation into the cause of the South Fork Fire. The identification of the point of origin and all evidence and data support lightning as the cause of the fire. Human activity and factors did not contribute to the cause.
The investigation was conducted by wildland fire investigators and law enforcement officers from the Bureau of Indian Affairs, Office of Justice Services, Bureau of Land Management, U.S.D.A. Forest Service, Mescalero Conservation Law Enforcement Department, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, New Mexico State Parks, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
The fire was reported June 17. burning on the Mescalero Apache Reservation near the community of Ruidoso on Tribal trust land administered by the BIA Mescalero Agency. Despite an aggressive response by multiple agencies, high wind spread the fire to over 15,000 acres within the first 24 hours. As of July 3, the fire is 17,569 acres and 87 percent contained.
The cause of the nearby Salt Fire remains under investigation. The FBI is offering a $10,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person or persons responsible for starting the Salt Fire.
Anyone who may have information pertaining to its cause is encouraged to either call 1-800-CALL-FBI, or text a detailed anonymous tip to "BIAMMU" (mobile number 847411). Tips may also be submitted online at tips.fbi.gov.
The investigation into the Salt Fire may take much more time than the South Fork. The hope is that the community will offer up any information possible to aid in the investigation.
Since these fires started, the community of Ruidoso has experienced wide-spread flooding throughout the town, and the road to recovery is only just beginning.
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There is no way that I'm accepting this blatantly obvious and contradictory smoke and mirrors news release from the Mescalero Tribe's Public Disinformation Officers. No f**king way!
To assist you understanding the Mescalero Tribe's Disinformation news release, please consider this Literary Hub article titled: 75 Years of 1984: Why George Orwell’s Classic Remains More Relevant Than Ever by author Elif Shafak on the Relentless Real-World Spread of Orwellian Dystopia (https://lithub.com/75-years-of-1984-why-george-orwells-classic-remains-more-relevant-than-ever/)
“Who controls the past controls the future: who controls the present controls the past.”