FEMA sets up another claims office in New Mexico

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — It has been more than a year since the most destructive fire in New Mexico history leveled homes and displaced thousands of families.

FEMA has set up a new office in the state after Congress designated $3.95 billion for fire recovery.

“This claims office is really here because of the federal role in this particular event,” said Angela Gladwell, Hermit’s Peak/Calf Canyon Claims Office director. “This was a prescribed fire on federal land the government basically said we got responsibility for this, and we need to compensate those who have losses as a result.”

FEMA has offices set up in Mora, Las Vegas, and Santa Fe.

“We wanted to bring people from New Mexico into our office and we wanted to build that program around them,” Gladwell said. “People from the community understand the community’s concerns.”

So far, the claims office has received more than 1,800 notices of loss from families, not all of those have been paid out but so far the claims office has been able to reimburse $30 million.

Gladwell says their goal is to distribute $1 billion by the end of 2024.