Food piled for evacuees from the Hermits Peak-Calf Canyon Fire at the disaster recovery center in Glorieta, N.M., on May 20, 2022. (Photo by Bright Quashie for Source NM)
When thousands of northern New Mexicans fled the biggest wildfire in state history beginning in April 2022, some of them returned home to a nasty smell emanating from their fridges or freezers: food that went bad amid weekslong power outages.
Food storage is harder in the rural, mountainous areas affected by the fire, where many put deer or elk they harvested in freezers in the garage and store months’ worth of food to last through the winter. Grocery stores are few and far between.
How much would I get in compensation from the Hermits Peak-Calf Canyon Fire Claims Office?
Download an unofficial copy of the claims office’s “standard rates calculator” here .
Food lost in the wildfire, which was caused by two botched prescribed burns on federal forest land, is one category of losses that the Hermits Peak-Calf Canyon Fire Claims Office is seeking to compensate victims for using a $3.95 billion fund approved by Congress.