Make fire victims whole — FEMA can't block the law
Brian Colón, Managing Partner of the New Mexico offices at Singleton Schreiber, was featured by Santa Fe New Mexican in an opinion piece titled "Make Fire Victims Whole — FEMA Can't Block the Law," published on September 19, 2026.
Colón authored the piece as part of the newspaper's "My View" section. He writes that Singleton Schreiber represents thousands of victims of the Hermits Peak/Calf Canyon Fire and has litigated against FEMA in federal court on the scope of the compensation law for the past few years. He served as New Mexico state auditor from 2019 to 2022.
The piece addresses whether the law Congress passed to compensate victims of the Hermits Peak/Calf Canyon Fire covers only itemized losses or also non-economic harm. The fire became the largest wildfire in New Mexico's history after two prescribed burns lit by the U.S. Forest Service merged. Colón writes that FEMA has argued the law covers only losses with a price tag, while a federal judge has twice ruled that FEMA must compensate victims for the emotional toll and inconveniences of the fire, as well as erosion damage and flooding. FEMA has appealed both rulings. Congress has set aside $5.45 billion to date for victim compensation.
