Help for fire victims
How New Mexicans can get some relief from damage caused by the catastrophic Hermits Peak/Calf Canyon Fire
Atotal of $3.95 billion has been allocated for the expected cost of helping victims of the Hermits Peak/Calf Canyon Fire. The U.S. Forest Service has assumed responsibility for the fire, and the federal government will compensate those harmed.
The Hermits Peak/Calf Canyon Claims Office is expected to open in late March or early April in Mora and San Miguel counties, along with mobile office services. Claims navigators will be available at that time to respond to claims already filed and to assist those who will be filing claims.
Hermits Peak/Calf Canyon claims
Who is eligible?
Those who suffered losses because of the Hermits Peak/Calf Canyon Fire, including flood damage related to the fire. That includes: Individuals/households Businesses
Acequias
Nonprofit organizations State, local and tribal governments Eligibility is not based on location. For example, if a person or organization was near the fire and incurred expenses, they may be eligible. What losses can you claim?
Here are some examples from FEMA, the Federal Emergency Management Agency:
Property — home, outbuildings, personal property, lost subsistence, wood that burned, including the value of lumber to be collected in the future
Businesses — equipment, buildings, trees, livestock, losses when forced to close
Financial — increased mortgage interest costs, lost wages, cost to relocate, expenses to remove debris or other cleanup costs, newly required flood insurance Governmental losses Document losses
Keep receipts and any documents of the value of items or current valuations, property titles, bank statements, pictures and videos.
To start the claims process, file a Notice of Loss form, available online at fema.gov/disaster/current/hermitspeak. Scroll down about a quarter of the page to Notice of Loss Form. This form asks for a description of the loss, not dollar amounts.
For assistance in English or Spanish by phone, call 1-800-621-3362.
Forms are also available at community centers and through community leaders.
Claims navigators will help with the application process in the claimant’s preferred language. Emergent and urgent matters will be prioritized.
It is not necessary to hire a lawyer. If you choose to do so, attorney’s fees are capped at 20%. If a claimant hires an attorney, the claimant is responsible for paying the attorney’s fees.
After submitting a Notice of Loss form, claimants receive correspondence from the Hermits Peak/Calf Canyon Claims Office acknowledging receipt of the form and any requests for additional information needed to complete acceptance of the form. Once the Claims Office confirms a completed Notice of Loss form, they have 180 days to determine the amount to be paid to the claimant. This does not mean you will be paid in 180 days, rather the claims process continues. (See Proof of Loss below.)
A claimant may amend the Notice of Loss to include additional claims at any time before signing a Proof of Loss. Notice of Loss claim deadline is Nov. 14, 2024. Submit the form:
By email: To fema-hermits-peak@ fema.dhs.gov
By mail: Attention: FEMA Hermits Peak/Calf Canyon Office, P.O. Box 1329, Santa Fe, N.M. 87504
Or at the claims offices to be opened soon. Next step: Proof of Loss
Proof of Loss is a statement attesting to the nature and extent of the claimant’s loss. The burden of proving injuries and damages rests with the person filing the claim. The Proof of Loss form is provided through claims navigators, who can help with the process of documenting loss amounts. If documentation/evidence is lost in the fire, the claims office may determine that the claimant’s statement alone will be sufficient.
Claimants should submit a signed Proof of Loss to the claims office no later than 150 days after the date when the claims office formally acknowledges the Notice of Loss.
FEMA disaster assistance
FEMA disaster assistance is different than filing a claim to the Hermits Peak/Calf Canyon Fire Claims Office. FEMA disaster assistance for individuals and households is designed to meet the immediate, basic needs of those affected by a particular disaster, with a primary focus on providing safe, sanitary and livable conditions. Funding is from the FEMA budget. Hermits Peak/Calf Canyon Fire assistance has specific funding. FEMA disaster assistance is generally for those who are underinsured or not insured. To learn about this kind of assistance available after a disaster, visit fema.gov/assistance. For information in Spanish, visit fema.gov/es/ assistance.
Even if you applied previously to FEMA or the Small Business Administration (SBA) for assistance after the presidentially declared disaster for New Mexico Wildfires and subsequent flooding due to the burn scars on May 4, 2022, you can still submit a Notice of Loss for compensation to the Hermits Peak/Calf Canyon Claims Office under the Hermits Peak/Calf Canyon Fire Assistance Act.
Resources: Hermits Peak/Calf Canyon Fire Assistance Regulation Summary fema.gov/sites/default/ files/documents/fema.gov_hermitspeak-calf-canyon-fire-assistance-actsummary_20221114.pdf
For more information about the Hermits Peak/Calf Canyon Fire Assistance Act and the claims office, visit fema.gov/hermits-peak. For information in Spanish, visit fema.gov/es/ hermits-peak
For help from members of the state’s congressional delegation constituent services: U.S. Rep. Teresa Leger Fernandez has offices in Las Vegas (505) 570-7558 and Santa Fe (505) 428-4680. U.S. Sen. Ben Ray Luján has a website, lujan.senate.gov and offices in Las Vegas (505) 398-9465, Santa Fe (505) 230-7040 and Washington, D.C., (202) 224-6621.