Fire Victims File Lawsuit Against U.S. Forest Service Two Years After Devastating New Mexico Fire
AILSA CHANG, CO-HOST:
A massive wildfire in New Mexico two years ago destroyed hundreds of houses and devastated the livelihoods of loggers and ranchers. Over 2,000 individuals are currently suing the government. Alice Fordham reports from member station KUNM.
ALICE FORDHAM, BYLINE: The 2022 fire was the biggest in the state’s historical records. For years, forests used for wood gathering and livestock grazing were reduced to burned wasteland. There are still floods on the burn scars two years later.
Carol Lutheran: We express our gratitude for the substantial snowfall we experienced in the previous year. Of course, there is concern about what floods might result from that when it melts.
FORDHAM: This is Carol Litherland. She spent last year showing NPR around her burned-out property and is currently removing debris.
LITHERLAND: We won’t be able to return to our home until perhaps late autumn of 2025, which is a long way after the fire.
FORDHAM: In her opinion, the government ought to have provided assistance by now. The U.S. Forest Service, a federal entity, conducted prescribed fires, which resulted in an escape. Congress responded by enacting a bill that designated FEMA as the claims administrator and promised compensation. Litherland and her neighbors are angry about delays and bureaucracy despite the nearly $4 billion that was appropriated.
LAND OF LIGHT: We always talk about, “Well, where are you at with FEMA,” whenever we get together. How is life going for you, and where are you at?
FORDHAM: Currently, two legal firms are suing the federal government in a mass tort case on behalf of four public bodies and 2,434 fire victims, including Litherland. Former state auditor Brian Colon now practices law as a partner at Singleton Schreiber.
BRIAN COLON: Our clients have been searching for justice for the past year and a half, and we have no choice but to submit these claims.
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FORDHAM: The claims process administrator announced their resignation in January. No one has been named as a replacement yet. Monday night, FEMA administrator Colt Hagmaier expressed regret during a celebration honoring the two-year milestone.
HAGMAIER, COLT: About the fire, I apologize. I regret the difficulties you had to deal with. I apologize for the extended duration of the situation.
FDHAM: He continued by saying that although the agency has already paid out $470 million, there is still more work to be done. Subsequently, a spokesman stated that although claims for expenses like legal counsel have been filed, FEMA has only processed roughly 2,500 of the total number of claims submitted.
I’m Alice Fordham, and I cover NPR News in Santa Fe.