New Mexico delegation seeks changes to wildfire aid rules

SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — New Mexico’s congressional delegation says the U.S. government should make changes to rules proposed for processing damage claims stemming from a historic wildfire sparked by forest managers. The delegation sent a letter to FEMA this week, saying many residents in the impoverished rural area are still reeling from the emotional, financial and physical tolls of the Hermit’s Peak-Calf Canyon Fires. Congress has approved nearly $4 billion for victims of the 2022 fire so far, and state officials have acknowledged that the recovery process will be long and challenging. The New Mexico attorney general’s office also has sought changes to the proposed rules.