Glimmers of hope sprouted from an apology in a Las Vegas theater

A handful of victims of the Hermits Peak-Calf Canyon Fire finally heard words they’ve needed to hear for a very long time. Colt Hagmaier apologized on behalf of the federal government at a packed Indigo Theater in Las Vegas, NM at an event featuring a preview of the documentary “Mora Is Burning.”

“I’m sorry. I’m sorry about the fire. I’m sorry about the challenges you’ve faced. I’m sorry that things have taken as long as they have,” he said.

That apology means something, and so did his face.

Hagmaier has a vital role with the Federal Emergency Management Agency. He is responsible for getting resources out to communities recovering from a natural disaster. He came from Washington, D.C. to Las Vegas, NM, to apologize to people living in an entire area with a population that’s probably smaller than most DC neighborhoods.

His expression when he spoke to the crowd said more than any FEMA letter or news release ever could. I think it took courage for Hagmaier and the other Hermits Peak-Calf Canyon Claims Office officials to attend. The meeting and film screening was hosted by the Coalition of Fire Fund Fairness, a group that is vocal about its anger and frustrations with Hagmaier’s agency to distribute nearly $4 billion in federal aid.

I have absolutely no doubt of the sincerity of his apology.

In my experience as a fire victim, the anger and distrust started when the Stafford Act funded FEMA’s response to the immediate emergency after the fire. A process that, as one who lost my home of 18 years, I saw to be far less than stellar. FEMA seemed insensitive to the actual needs of people devastated by New Mexico’s largest wildfire, one ignited by not one, but two U.S. Forest Service botched prescribed burns.

Details about the many disappointments are included in prior columns and will continue in future, but that’s not today’s subject. Today, I want to write about hope.

Yes, I’m cautious. I believed in Hagmaier’s sincerity at the Indigo Theater, but I’ve lived a long time. Apologies are worth little if there’s no change in actual behaviors. So now we watch, and we wait.

Angela Gladwell was removed as director of the claims office, and Ben Krakauer, a FEMA senior advisor, is serving as interim director. Wednesday evening, a news release from Sen. Ben Luján announced the selection of Jay Mitchell as the new director of the Hermits Peak-Calf Canyon Claims Office. While promising, as I write I know little about this individual, but I will admit to a sense of hope.

Despite all that has happened, there is improvement. Although I disagree with reforestation and smoke damage being a priority ahead of aiding those who lost homes, federal aid money is being spent. The claims office website reports that, as of March 22, $465 million has been disbursed to claimants.

Paula Gutierrez is leading the advocate role in the Hermits Peak-Calf Canyon Claims Office. They are making a difference for individuals. In my perspective, the advocate position has evolved into customer service helping those asking for additional assistance navigating the federal claims process. While beneficial, on a case by case basis, I still have hope to see a stronger voice for the community as a whole.

Patrick Lohmann, a journalist with Source New Mexico has covered the Hermits Peak-Calf Canyon Fire throughout the disaster and the recovery, served as facilitator for the panel at the Indigo Theater. I admired his professionalism, objectivity, and lack of fear in asking pertinent questions to Hagmaier and the state leaders on the panel. One such question asked if panel members had messages of hope.

There was much discussion about hope that FEMA could move forward effectively in compensating claimants, but I heard a different question.

I have hope. Yes, the money will help, but the root of my hope is not in dollars but in the hearts and courage of the people, la gente.

During my years as a firefighter, I learned that if one focuses only on what happened to cause the fire and the situation before them, they’re only a third of the way to suppressing the fire. One must also project what’s going to happen next.

I am so proud of motivated community leaders — although frequently not elected leaders — who are looking ahead.

Luna Community College President Dr. Edward Martinez, saw value in what we are learning from this disaster. As a result, Luna secured USDA funding and is now home to the Wildfire Resilience Training Center. When fully developed the center may become a template for improving wildfire resiliency across the state or even the nation.

A group in Mora, facilitated by the nonprofit organization Collaborative Visions, is leading a planning effort to analyze and address what will happen as cash, in the form of recovery funds, replaces the land as a primary source of livelihood for so many of those affected by the fires.

The US Department of Health and Human Services recently funded a grant for planning and community input for an idea tentatively named the Plaza Nueva Project.

Depending on what the community wants, the group hopes to nurture a project building on progress toward completion of the Mora County Courthouse and a potential park honoring local veterans. The hope created here includes a commercial and community service plaza that would finally replace the site destroyed in the Second Battle of Mora in 1847.

The importance of local entrepreneurs to economic recovery is cropping up in different places.The group, Women Entrepreneurs of Las Vegas, NM and Surrounding Areas, sprung from the soil of determined women facing the challenge of recovery with optimism. Within a few weeks, there were over one hundred members.

Then there is the documentary, “Mora is Burning,” that was the focus of the Coalition of Fire Fund Fairness event. I know the production team and have worked with them on occasion. It’s not finished. There is still so much that needs to be recorded. I see a labor of love by Scott Campbell and his crew, all of whom have roots in this region. They tell a story with truths that can have an impact far beyond the Hermits Peak-Calf Canyon burn scar.

These are just examples. There is so much developing locally that, with the hearts and souls of the people behind them, this fire and flood-stricken area will thrive. We will continue to own our communities without depending on outsiders who don’t understand the people and the culture to determine our future. Such preservation is essential for people who have stewarded the land and the water for generations.

Resiliency is an essential trait in a world living under the shadow of climate change. Yes, our fire was started by U.S. Forestry, but the entire globe is threatened by natural disasters. I believe that learning resiliency means turning to the very populations that have long dealt with systemic challenges.

They know what it means to have hope in the darkness.

The victims of the Hermits Peak-Calf Canyon Fire and subsequent floods aren’t down and out. Don’t underestimate us.