Colorado’s congressional delegation is urging the federal government to expand disaster assistance funds to communities hit hard by this summer’s destructive wildfires.
The bi-partisan letter sent Thursday asks FEMA to expand disaster assistance to help rebuild public infrastructure in and around communities in Larimer and Washington counties impacted by the Woodland Heights and Last Chance fires in June.
That’s on top of FEMA money that’s already been allocated for the Waldo Canyon and High Park fires. It also follows a letter sent by Governor Hickenlooper earlier this week asking the Obama Administration to expand a presidential disaster declaration to free up more funds for fire victims.
Many of them like Cj Moore, who lost her home in the mountain shadows neighborhood in Colorado Springs, are just starting to look at rebuilding.
"This was my life right here at 2532 Mirror Lake Court," Moore says, standing on the ruble of what used to be her home. "My late husband and I built this home in 1985, he neighbors are really close, most of us have been here since ’85, and we’re all going to rebuild."
The Waldo Canyon Fire eclipsed the High Park Fire as the most destructive wildfire in Colorado history in June. Together the two blazes destroyed more than 600 homes and damaged scores more.
