SANTA FE – Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham announced on Thursday that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has granted her request to add Los Alamos and Sandoval counties to New Mexico’s wildfire disaster declaration.

The amendment to the disaster declaration opens the FEMA Public Assistance Program for Los Alamos and Sandoval counties, which provides supplemental grants to state, tribal, territorial, and local governments, as well as certain types of private non-profits, to quickly respond to and recover from major disasters or emergencies. The Cerro Pelado Fire burned over 45,000 acres in Los Alamos and Sandoval counties between April and June.

In recent days Gov. Lujan Grisham has also secured both the extension of the duration of New Mexico’s disaster declaration and the addition of flooding impacts to the declaration, as well as the launch of additional housing assistance and the extension of non-congregate sheltering support for New Mexicans affected by wildfires.

The governor has also requested that FEMA commit to continuing to cover 100% of the total eligible costs under the now-extended duration of the disaster declaration – that request is outstanding.