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SALEM, Ore. (KPTV) - More than a dozen firefighters with the Oregon Department of Forestry were sent to New Mexico to help battle wildfires in that state.

ODF says most of the 19 firefighters arrived Friday and the rest will arrive within the next day.

“The two-week rotation with our New Mexico partners will allow our firefighters to brush up on their skills before Oregon’s fire season hits its peak later this summer,” ODF said in a release.

So far in 2024, Oregon has deployed:

48 firefighters to Texas
14 firefighters to Alaska
Five firefighters to California
Two firefighters to Tennessee
One firefighter to Washington
One firefighter to Florida
One firefighter to New Mexico (this deployment is separate from the current one)

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With the heat sticking around for the rest of the week, safety officials warned people to remember safety in and out of the water.

ODF says Oregon can and has called on those same states to send firefighters and equipment when wildfires here exceed local capacity.

Two wildfires started Monday near the small town of Ruidoso, New Mexico, and have burned over 23,000 acres. President Joe Biden issued a disaster declaration, freeing up funding and more resources as crews worked to keep the flames from spreading.

Thousands of people have been displaced, and the wildfires have burned about 1,400 structures. A GoFundMe account has been set up to help those affected by the Ruidoso wildfires. You can find that fundraiser here.