Federal government denies final appeals for Colorado disaster aid
The federal government has denied Colorado’s final appeals for Major Disaster Declarations tied to two of the state’s costliest recent events, cutting off FEMA Public Assistance and Hazard Mitigation funding for affected communities, Governor Jared Polis announced Monday.
The denied appeals cover the Elk and Lee Fires in Rio Blanco County, which burned in September 2025, and record-breaking flooding in La Plata, Archuleta, and Mineral counties in October 2025. Together, the events caused more than $40 million in jointly verified damages.
Polis originally asked the Trump administration and FEMA for a disaster declaration for the two Colorado wildfires in September 2025.
“This is incredibly disappointing for Coloradans,” Governor Polis said. “Colorado communities have done everything right — responding quickly, documenting the damage, and working in good faith with federal partners — only for the Trump administration to deny funding to help Colorado communities recover. These disasters caused real damage to homes, infrastructure, and local economies, and Coloradans should not be left to shoulder these costs alone.”
Without federal assistance, the governor’s office said, affected communities will have fewer resources to recover, face harder tradeoffs between recovery costs and other needs, carry heightened risk of future disasters, and may be unable to complete repairs to energy systems and river channels that could reduce future damage.
Kevin Klein, director of the Colorado Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management, said it is the first time in 35 years the state has been denied federal assistance as part of a major disaster declaration request.
“Our damage assessments documented and showed that each of the disasters exceeded the federal thresholds for assistance,” Klein said. “Our State Recovery Task Force will continue to work on alternatives to fill the gap, but providing substantial relief to the disaster survivors becomes much more difficult with this decision.”
The Elk and Lee Fires burned from August 2–29, 2025, and consumed more than 137,000 acres, causing over $27 million in jointly verified damages, including significant impacts to energy infrastructure critical to Rio Blanco County’s economy. Subsequent flooding and mudslides further damaged roads, bridges, and public systems, the state said.
During the 2025 season, the Lee Fire became the fifth-largest wildfire in Colorado history.
Historic flooding in Southwest Colorado from October 10–14, 2025, caused more than $13 million in jointly verified damages, destroying more than 60 miles of road, severely impacting water and wastewater systems, and creating long-term risks for communities along the San Juan River basin.
Polis formally requested Major Disaster Declarations for both events in September and November 2025. The federal government denied both requests in December 2025, and the state submitted formal appeals in January 2026. Monday’s notifications represent the final denial of those appeals.
The State of Colorado has invested more than $57.5 million in these and other disasters since July 2024 and will continue working with local partners to support rebuilding and reduce long-term risks, according to the governor’s office.
