Press Releases

October 5, 2023 – A year after securing the Hermit’s Peak/Calf Canyon Fire Assistance Act, U.S. Representative Teresa Leger Fernández (D-N.M) and U.S. Senators Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) and Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.) introduced the Hermit’s Peak/Calf Canyon Claims Extension Act to extend the time frame for survivors to file claims with the Hermit’s Peak Claims Office. Under the new bill, the Hermit’s Peak/Calf Canyon Claims Office would remain open until the end of 2027. 

Many impacted New Mexicans urged FEMA to extend the deadline to apply for compensation from November 2024 to a later date. The legislation acknowledges that while an extension is beyond FEMA's authority to change, New Mexicans need additional time for those impacted by the fire to submit a notice of loss and get the full compensation they deserve.    

Congresswoman Leger Fernández and the New Mexico Delegation have delivered $3.95 billion for the Hermit’s Peak/Calf Canyon Fire recovery and pressed the federal government to quickly and efficiently deliver relief. 

In January, Congresswoman Leger Fernández urged FEMA to make changes to the Hermit’s Peak/Calf Canyon Fire Assistance Act interim regulations. The letter included a request to remove compensation caps on trees and risk reduction efforts, more flexibility on compensating for property damage, and other necessary changes to make this law work for the people affected by the fire. FEMA incorporated these suggestions in its final regulations published in August.

“One year ago, Congress passed my Hermit’s Peak Calf Canyon Fire Assistance Act. The power of the peoples’ stories of loss and injustice helped us secure $3.95 billion to create an entirely new program to compensate victims of the fire,” said Leger Fernández. “Unfortunately, the fire was not the end of the heartache for our communities. The burn scar created by this man-made disaster has left our people in the path of dangerous floods. That is why I am introducing the Hermit’s Peak Calf Canyon Claims Extension Act to make sure victims can continue to submit claims through 2027 and have their flood insurance covered through 2028. I will continue to push the Claims Office to speed up the payments these victims desperately need and bring justice to our communities.” 

“Passing the Hermit’s Peak Calf Canyon Assistance Act into law was a critical step in making sure those impacted by the worst fire in our state’s history were made whole again,” said Heinrich. “By extending the deadline New Mexicans can submit their claims through the Hermit’s Peak Claims Office, this legislation will help New Mexicans receive the relief they need to rebuild. I will leave no stone unturned in making sure that New Mexico families and communities make a full recovery, and I remain committed to restoring the health of the forests and watersheds that these communities rely on.”  

“The Hermit’s Peak/Calf Canyon Fire was the largest wildfire on record in New Mexico history that devastated northern New Mexico families and businesses. I was proud to lead the effort to secure $3.95 billion to help New Mexicans recover, and I will continue pressing the federal government to make the relief process as seamless as possible. This includes extending the deadline to apply for relief,” said Luján. “With payments now being disbursed, it’s critical that New Mexicans have the time they need to apply for the compensation that they deserve.” 

“An extension of the HPCCA Claims would truly benefit the victims of the Hermit's Peak Calf Canyon 2022 disaster as the cascading flooding events are expected to continue for multiple years. As we have seen with 2023 flooding events, mitigating an issue in one area tends to direct the damaging effects to another, thereby causing unexpected damage somewhere else.  As we continue to address each issue as it occurs, other values will continue to be affected,” said Mora County Commissioner Veronica Serna. “By issuing an extension from 2024 to 2027, this will give the victims of this disaster the opportunity to file claims for future damages as we experience future flooding events due to the severe burn scar our mountains experienced with the 2022 Hermit's Peak Calf Canyon Fire.”