DENVER -- President George Bush signed a federal disaster declaration, making federal financial help available to families who have lost their homes or businesses as a result of Colorado wildfires that began April 23, 2002.

Gov. Bill Owens requested the money after touring the fires earlier this month. The money can be used for temporary housing assistance and small business loans.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency agency will determine eligibility.

For more information, call (800) 621-FEMA or (800) 462-7585 for the hearing and speech impaired, from 8 am to 6 pm, seven days a week.

You can also check out:

FEMA.gov
Colorado Office Of Emergency Management

If you need legal help, call the free Legal Hotline established by volunteer attorneys from the Denver and Colorado Bar Associations.

The toll-free hotline number is (800) 467-0372. You can call about important papers that have burned, real estate, insurance, bankruptcy, landlord-tenant matters, trusts and estates, etc.

The FEMA assistance for individuals includes:

Low interest home disaster loans to help homeowners and renters who are uninsured or underinsured repair or replace disaster-related damages to home or personal property.
Individual and family grants for the necessary expenses and serious needs of disaster victims that cannot be met through other sources, such as insurance. Typically, grants range between $2,000 and $4,000, although they can be up to $14,800. The federal government pays 75 percent of the cost, with the state paying the balance. Qualifying expenses include housing, personal property such as clothing, and medical costs.
Rental payments for temporary housing can help assure that people whose homes are damaged by disaster have a safe place to live until repairs can be completed. Includes rental assistance and temporary housing help for expenses not covered by insurance.
Other forms of help, including disaster unemployment assistance, crisis counseling and some legal services.

The assistance for businesses includes:

Low-interest disaster loans for uninsured or underinsured damage to property, inventory and supplies.
Economic injury disaster loans which may provide financial assistance to cover lost working capital for small businesses even if there was no physical damage.