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FRIDAY, MARCH 22, 2002

An audit by Arthur Andersen underestimates the damage Pueblos in northern New Mexico suffered from the Cerro Grande Fire of May 2000, a federal disaster official said.

The embattled accounting firm was off by at least $26 million, a Federal Emergency Management Agency fire official told The Albuquerque Journal. FEMA believes the claims of Santa Clara, San Ildefonso, Pojoaque and San Juan could total $76 million and as much as $101 million.

The Cerro Grande Fire started in the Bandelier National Monument, which is an historic Pueblo site. The blaze, one of the worst in decades, caused damage to tribal lands, hunting grounds and ceremonial sites.

Get the Story:
FEMA: Fire Claims at Pueblos Could Be $101 Million (The Albuquerque Journal 3/22)

Get Fire Documents:
Cerro Grande Reports | Cerro Grande Memos

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