FEMA Extends Aid Deadline to Oct. 19 – $5.5M Already Distributed to South Fork and Salt Fire Survivors

According to Report, The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has extended the application deadline for those impacted by the South Fork and Salt fires to October 19, following ongoing floods threatening homes around the burn scar. The extension, announced on Friday, was prompted by a request from Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham. Local officials, including Ruidoso Mayor Lynn Crawford, had raised concerns that the original deadline, set for Monday, was too soon and could leave many survivors without critical assistance.

Mayor Crawford expressed frustration, noting that although recovery efforts are underway, many in Ruidoso are not yet feeling the impact. He regularly asks residents to share their experiences with federal aid on a local radio show, but to date, no one has reported receiving any assistance.

“We want to see real money in people’s hands,” Crawford said on Friday, prior to the extension being announced. “I need some confirmation to ease my mind about all of this.”

As of August 17, FEMA reported providing more than $5.5 million in aid to 509 households, including $3.25 million in housing assistance and $2.25 million for other needs such as transportation, medical expenses, and replacing lost belongings.

Following President Joe Biden’s federal disaster declaration on June 2, FEMA began offering assistance to individuals and households affected by the fires. Those who apply by the new October 19 deadline could also be eligible for additional aid, including low-interest disaster loans from the Small Business Administration, rental assistance, or temporary housing like trailers and mobile homes. However, FEMA’s temporary housing units have not yet arrived.

Crawford criticized the earlier deadline, citing the continued flood risks in the burn areas, which are causing ongoing damage. He noted that many people may not even realize they have damage yet due to the nature of the flooding and warned that the disaster’s impact period will extend beyond the current deadline, particularly with the monsoon season continuing.

“Some people don’t even realize they have damage,” Crawford explained. “And the incident period won’t be over by the 19th. It needs to be extended at least past the monsoon season.”

The North American monsoon season typically lasts through September, and recent forecasts from the National Weather Service predict above-average rainfall in New Mexico during August and September.

After the Hermits Peak-Calf Canyon Fire in spring 2022, survivors were allowed to apply for individual aid until October 7 of that year, more than six months after the fire began. The deadline for that disaster was extended at least once.

An original deadline of August 19 for the South Fork and Salt fires would have given survivors only about three months to apply for aid, including temporary housing assistance. FEMA data shared by Crawford’s office showed that as of August 1, 126 households were eligible for temporary trailers or mobile homes, including 51 households in immediate need of housing. FEMA acknowledged that more households might need temporary housing as recovery progresses.

Crawford has been assured that FEMA trailers and mobile homes for those most affected by the disaster are “on their way.”