WASHINGTON (Reuters) -U.S. President Joe Biden on Wednesday approved a disaster declaration for parts of drought-parched New Mexico hit by wildfires and ordered federal aid be made available for recovery efforts, the White House said.
The rash of wildfires, which includes the biggest active blaze in the United States, have started earlier this year and are more widespread than normal due to climate change, according to scientists.
Federal funding will be made available for the northern counties of Mora and San Miguel where the second-largest wildfire in state history has burned hundreds of homes and structures and threatens the city of Las Vegas, New Mexico.
The president’s action also provides support to Lincoln County where two people died in April in a blaze in the mountain resort town of Ruidoso that destroyed over 200 homes.
Other counties covered in the declaration include Colfax and Valencia which also suffered wildfires in early April, a month earlier than normal, according to fire officials.
The decree provides grants for temporary housing and home repairs, low-cost loans to cover uninsured property losses, and other programs to help individuals and business owners recover from the effects of the disaster, according to a statement from the White House.
(Reporting by Eric Beech and Andrew Hay; Editing by Stephen Coates)
