In Colorado, the Long Aftermath of a Fire Feels Political

Kyle Thomson is still dealing with wildfires extinguished more than nine months ago.The Lee fire tore through Rio Blanco County, Colo., on the state’s Western Slope, in August and September, burning close to 137,800 acres.For months, Mr.

Thomson, a lineman for White River Electric Association, a small utility cooperative, trekked several miles a day, picking up charred debris from burned power lines and restringing wires that cut through the rugged terrain.But funding to finish the repairs has become contentious.And a brutal fire season is expected this summer, with a historically low snowpack and drought conditions in the West.The Lee fire was the fifth-largest wildfire in Colorado history, “a tornado of fire,” as Mr.

Thomson put it.Last year, as embers still smoldered, he assessed the damage.

On his tablet, he pecked out his findings with dirt-caked fingers: $104,557 for 32 burned poles on Highway 13; $250,000 for 55 burned poles on County Road 22.His calculations went to Colorado’s Democratic governor, Jared Polis, who quickly sent a formal request to President Trump asking for a major disaster declaration in order to unlock support from the Federal Emergency Management Agency.A bipartisan group of state lawmakers endorsed the governor’s request, which assessed damages at $27 million.Mr.

Thomson assumed the federal government would rush to send aid, most of which would go to utility repairs.We are having trouble retrieving the article content.Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.Thank you for your patience while we verify access.If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times.Thank you for your patience while we verify access.Already a subscriber? Log in.Want all of The Times? Subscribe....