FEMA didn’t want to discuss my fire recovery claim with my attorney present. Last week, we did.

Vegetation sprouts along the Hermits Peak-Calf Canyon burn scars off NM Highway 518 overlooking the Mora Valley on June 8, 2022. (Photo by Shaun Griswold / Source NM)

If you see me on the street and my face looks a tad blue, don’t be concerned. I’m just holding my breath waiting to see if fundamental change is finally coming to how the FEMA Hermits Peak-Calf Canyon Fire Claims Office disburses the nearly $4 billion allocated to victims of that fire.

Passage of the Hermits Peak-Calf Canyon Fire Assistance Act acknowledged U.S. Forest Service’s responsibility for the fire.  Acknowledgement of responsibility is one thing, but the power of that legislation has been diluted by the Federal Emergency Management’s slow and inefficient administration of reparation funds. FEMA just hasn’t, as my mother might have said, “paid us any mind.” 

During the last month, I’ve grown to have hope, but I’ve had hope before, hence the need to “hold my breath.” Several actions have given me greater optimism, but perhaps the strongest and the clearest started with a conversation I had with Ben Krakauer, interim director of the FEMA claims office in Northern New Mexico. 

Krakauer and I spoke as the crowd mingled following a preview of a cutting from the documentary “Mora Is Burning.”  It was something of a civilized debate. I turned down yet another offer to discuss my claim with the claims office advocate. I had been offered this meeting before, but first I was always required to sign an agreement to meet with the federal government without legal counsel present.  

“We’ll meet with you and with your attorney,” Krakauer said.

I was gobsmacked. 

“I’ll do that,” I answered, and notified my attorneys helping me with my claim the next day. 

This was a development I had failed to see before, and something I see as the major obstacle in compensating those with the greatest loss and the greatest need. 

Once Krakauer and I  agreed to that meeting, it happened rather quickly. 

We had a virtual meet up on April 17. More than any other development, this session gave me hope, not just for myself but for many who lost their homes. A major obstacle was the claims office’s persistent unwillingness to work amicably with attorneys.

Once my legal representatives, the FEMA adjusters and advocates, and lowly little old me were all in the same place, it was amazingly productive. We were able to review the recommended compensation compiled by the adjusters based on the proof of loss prepared by my attorneys relying on my input. 

The claims process is not done yet, but it was a heartening meeting that makes me hopeful a resolution may be in sight not just for me, but for many others. Frankly, after the deaths of two neighbors, largely due to the stress of the disaster and the recovery, I was resolved to the possibility that I might never go home.

Although another “wait and see,” I hope that the barrier is broken not just for an individual case, but a sign of a new policy by the Hermits Peak-Calf Canyon Fire Claims Office. 

From my perspective, one of the greatest deficiencies in the administration of the Fire Assistance Act involved putting many other priorities ahead of those who lost their homes. The first emphasis was on reforestation and currently there is a push to pay for smoke damage within 15 miles of the burn scar. 

Many if not most of those who lost their homes retained attorneys, and we have been stymied. 

Maybe, just maybe that is changing. Time will tell.

When I started writing these articles, it was specifically for the Las Vegas Optic. As I now write for a state-wide audience, I haven’t changed my original mission to use my voice to strive for justice, for hope, and if possible, to build success out of devastation. 

For the rest of you, our story matters. We are proving that things can change if people dare to speak out, not to hurt nor destroy an “opposition,” but to nurture real and positive change. It can happen, and I am increasingly hopeful that we will prove an example of that truth.

One last thing, don’t worry when you don’t see a column next week. I’m going to take the week off. 

Part of disaster recovery is self-care. It’s something we all need to remember.

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