It’s been nearly two years since the Calf Canyon/Hermit’s Peak Fire devastated communities in northern New Mexico. President Joe Biden promised the feds would fully compensate every impacted New Mexican, but many say they still haven’t seen a dime.

Now, some lawyers say they are trying to turn up the heat and hold FEMA accountable. Singleton and Schreiber have been hosting multiple town halls both online and in Mora and Las Vegas.

They say the goal is to answer any questions locals may have – and the question they get the most is “What is taking so long?”

Singleton and Schreiber partner Brion Colón says getting the funding from FEMA has been a moving target for the last year. The attorneys working on these cases have also been getting a variety of answers from FEMA when they ask for clarity.

Those who were impacted by the fire are entitled to full compensation under federal and New Mexico law, but it’s becoming a longer process than expected.

“We’re holding FEMA accountable and making sure that the people of northern New Mexico received damages not just for trees that went down, not just for structures that went down, but for the inconvenience, the loss of the enjoyment of their land, the loss of the enjoyment of their community that they’ll never have again in their lifetime,” Colón said.

FEMA just released updated claim numbers this week, saying more than 6,000 people have filed 3,000 claims. So far, FEMA has paid out more than $400 million to nearly 2,000 individuals.

However, Colón says there are still billions of dollars sitting unused. He says federal bureaucracy is getting in the way.

Singleton and Schreiber are having another virtual hall Tuesday evening via Zoom.