Threat of violence prompted brief lockdown at federal wildfire claims office in northern NM

A bridge near Sapello in San Miguel County as the Hermits Peak-Calf Canyon Fire burns on April 23, 2022. A recent threat of violence against a man's lawyers and federal employees prompted the Hermits Peak-Calf Canyon Claims Office to go on temporary lockdown. (Photo by Patrick Lohmann / Source NM)

A man seeking compensation for losses he suffered in the Hermits Peak-Calf Canyon Fire threatened to shoot up a federal claims office last week in northern New Mexico, according to the local sheriff’s office.

The threat Thursday prompted a brief lockdown at the Hermits Peak-Calf Canyon Fire Claims Office in Mora, according to a claims office spokesperson. The man also made similar threats to the Roybal Mack & Cordova law firm, the firm representing him as he seeks compensation, according to a letter she sent to clients over the weekend.

“This week, we had to close our offices in Mora and Las Vegas based upon threats of physical violence directed toward our law firm,” lawyer Antonia Roybal-Mack wrote in the letter provided to Source New Mexico.

Her letter also noted the threat against the claims office, which is overseen by the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Roybal-Mack noted frustration has been rising over more than two years after the Hermits Peak-Calf Canyon Fire began, but she urged her clients to be patient and productive in their criticism.

“I must emphasize that such actions are not only counterproductive, but also illegal,” she wrote. “I understand the anger, and frustration, but the threats cannot and will not be tolerated under any circumstances. The cursing and anger towards us is simply misplaced.”

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The Hermits Peak-Calf Canyon Fire started due to botched prescribed burns ignited by the Forest Service in early 2022. The fire, the state’s biggest-ever, burned about 1,000 structures and a 534-square-mile area. Congress in late 2022 created a nearly $4 billion fund to “fully compensate” victims for the losses they incurred in the fire and tasked FEMA to administer the funds.

Joey Romero, undersheriff for the Mora County Sheriff’s Office said Tuesday that the sheriff’s office is still determining whether to file charges, but deputies talked to the man and deemed him “not a threat at the time.” He said the man threatened to kill his lawyers and shoot up the claims office.

The undersheriff could not say what might have prompted the threat, but he said more information might be available later this week.

A claims office spokesperson would say only that a “threat” was made to the Claims Office and that the incident was “swiftly resolved” after a brief lockdown early on Thursday. The office reopened by 12:30 p.m. on July 18, according to the spokesperson.

The lockdown happened around the same time other FEMA claims office locations were closed due to maintenance and other reasons. The office in Las Vegas, N.M., closed July 16 and has yet to reopen due to maintenance, spokesperson Danielle Stomberg said.

But she stressed that claimants can still make appointments with navigators. The office also provided regular updates about the closures on its Facebook page .

As of July 16, the office had paid out about $940 million of the $3.95 billion awarded by Congress, or about 24% of the total, to 6,010 claimants. The pace of payments and the damage claims FEMA declined to pay for have prompted more than a dozen lawsuits and continued frustration among those who lost their homes, property or livelihoods to the fire.

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Roybal-Mack said in her letter to clients that the office is moving faster because it added additional personnel, and some of her firm’s lawsuits could be settled this week.

The process is still going slower than she would like, but she used her email to clients to call for a “reset button” that would restore respect and civility between claimants, their lawyers and the federal claims office.

“Anger towards us will not move things faster,” she wrote. “Thankfully, no one was hurt and everyone is safe.”

Brian Colón, a lawyer for another firm representing more than 1,000 clients seeking compensation, said he is urging his clients to “take a deep breath” and give the claims process a chance to work, especially in light of the hiring in April of Jay Mitchell, a new director of the claims office from New Mexico.

“There has been a change since Mitchell hit the ground. I’ve seen it firsthand,” he said. “Accordingly, everybody needs to pump the brakes, take a deep breath and give us a chance to continue making progress on these very, very important claims.”

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