PRESS RELEASE: New Mexico Fire Victims Release Statement On Hiring Of New FEMA Claims Director

LAS VEGAS, NM (April 18, 2024) – The Coalition for Fire Fund Fairness (CFFF) – a grassroots coalition of victims of the 2022 Hermit’s Peak/Calf Canyon wildfire – today issued the following statement in response to the announcement of the hiring of Jay Mitchell to head the FEMA Claims Office.

“Northern New Mexicans have lost everything. It’s time for FEMA to finally start fully compensating victims for all allowable damages and prioritizing those who have lost property so they can start rebuilding their lives. Sadly, despite FEMA's claims, we simply have not seen the progress we have been promised. We hope the new claims director is ready to meet that challenge.

“In the meantime, we remain focused on our mission: to give a voice to the voiceless and relentlessly advocate for the victims of the devastating Hermit’s Peak/Calf Canyon wildfire until every victim is made whole. To date, FEMA has only disbursed approximately 12.5% of the nearly $4 billion compensation fund, and much of that money has been spent on internal operations. Too many people who lost their entire homes are still awaiting even a dime of compensation. The endless delays and mismanagement have led to the re-traumatization of an entire community.

“We continue to call on the Biden Administration, Congress, and our allies in New Mexico and across the country to help us hold FEMA accountable so our communities can finally begin to heal.”

The Hermit’s Peak/Calf Canyon wildfire – the largest in New Mexico history – was triggered on April 6, 2022 when the U.S. Forest Service lost control of a prescribed burn in the area. The blaze burned more than 330,000 acres and caused over 25,000 people to flee their homes, many of whom remain displaced to this day.

Congress passed the Hermit’s Peak Fire Assistance Act in September 2022, allocating $3.95 billion in relief funding for wildfire victims and appointing FEMA to manage the claims process. However, months of mismanagement, bureaucratic red tape, and unexplained delays have curtailed the recovery process. To date, only about 12.5% of the relief fund has been dispersed, and thousands of victims continue to wait for responses to their claims.

Last week, CFFF hosted an event honoring the second anniversary of the devastating fire. For more information about CFFF and the impact of the Hermit’s Peak/Calf Canyon Fire, please visit www.hermitspeakjustice.com.

#