First Checks Issued Under Cerro Grande Fire Assistance Act
Release Date: September 13, 2000
Release Number: HQ-00-CG12
SANTA FE, N.M. -- The first partial payments totaling $ 9,143 have been approved for 17 New Mexicans this week in accordance with the Cerro Grande Fire Assistance Act.
To date, 1,026 Notice of Loss forms have been filed and 1,146 people have visited six customer service centers. Sixty-five claims reviewers are working closely with claimants to document their losses and to help them complete the claims process.
With the enactment of the Cerro Grande Fire Assistance Act, FEMA is authorized to fully compensate individuals for losses caused by the fire. Compensation can cover real and personal property loss, business and financial loss, personal injury, subsistence losses for pueblos or tribal members, and reasonable mitigation measures for home reconstruction.
Before the Cerro Grande Fire Assistance Act was passed by Congress and signed into law by President Clinton in July of this year, only basic disaster assistance under the Disaster Relief and Emergency Act was available for those who suffered losses in the Cerro Grande Fire-assistance which is limited to specific types of losses and dollar amounts.
Filing a Notice of Loss with the FEMA Office of Cerro Grande Fire Claims is the first step in the claims process.
Call the Cerro Grande Fire Assistance Line at: 1-888-748-1853, or visit one of the FEMA Customer Service Centers in Los Alamos, White Rock, Espanola, Santa Clara Pueblo, or San Ildefonso Pueblo to get a Notice of Loss form. Notice of Loss forms can also be downloaded from the FEMA website: http://www.fema.gov/cerrogrande. Mail forms to: FEMA Office of Cerro Grande Fire Claims, PO Box 1480, Los Alamos, NM, 87544-1480.
Applicants have until August 28, 2002 to file a Notice of Loss form with FEMA.
Last Modified: Tuesday, 30-Dec-2003 16:37:23