An independent report provided to federal officials overseeing the recovery from the largest wildfire in New Mexico history calculates more than $5 billion in expected liability for the losses suffered in the fire, even though Congress has awarded only about $4 billion so far.
The report, produced by a Maryland-based actuary, arrived at that big number by examining a random sample of completed claims paid by the Hermits Peak-Calf Canyon Fire claims office, along with other analysis.
It also references more than 50 records, including spreadsheets, federal guidelines and emails, that the office has refused to release to Source New Mexico. Spokesperson Deborah Martinez said the materials cited in the report appendix could not be released because they are “internal.”…