Victims of the Aspen Acres Fire and subsequent flooding will not receive individual assistance for disaster recovery from the Federal Government. The State of Colorado said that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) denied portions of the Disaster Declaration Request made by Governor Jared Polis in August.
The disaster declaration request was for both the Aspen Acres Fire and the Gold Mountain Fire near Ouray.
FEMA denied the individual assistance and the hazard mitigation requests which would provide essential services to people impacted in Custer and Pueblo Counties. Such funding helps with expenses such as temporary housing, home repairs, and disaster unemployment assistance.
Despite the denial, the state says they are assessing the next steps in the process and has 30 days to appeal the denial decision.The Aspen Acres Fire burned over 102,000 acres and destroyed 324 homes in Custer and Pueblo Counties.
