2021–2022 Boulder County fires

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Marshall Fire
Colorado wildfires.jpg
Satellite view of a wildfire near Boulder, Colorado, quickly spreading into nearby homes.
LocationBoulder County, Colorado, in the towns of Superior and Louisville
Coordinates40°05′N 105°22′W / 40.09°N 105.36°W / 40.09; -105.36Coordinates: 40°05′N 105°22′W / 40.09°N 105.36°W / 40.09; -105.36
Statistics
Cost$513,212,589 in damages[1]
Date(s)December 30, 2021–January 1, 2022 (2 days)
Burned area6,026 acres
Buildings destroyed1,084
Non-fatal injuries6+[2]
Missing people1

On December 30, 2021, shortly before 10:30 a.m. MST,[3] grass fires broke out in Boulder County, Colorado, United States. Two fires were respectively named by local fire authorities as the Marshall Fire and the Middle Fork Fire.[4]

Background[]

An unusually humid spring with above average growth of the grass due to the wet conditions, followed by an unusually warm and dry summer and fall created ideal conditions for wildfires.[5][6][7][8] Additionally, high winds were recorded in the area, with gusts of up to 115 miles per hour. The winds were driven by the mountain wave effect, and allowed for rapid spread of the fire.[9] Effects of the high winds were also observed on the University of Colorado Boulder campus, where downed branches and trees were reported.[10]

Marshall Fire[]

Cause[]

On January 2, 2022, Boulder County Sheriff Joe Pelle reported that fire investigators identified a neighborhood by State Highway 93 and Marshall Road as the origin of the fire, but have not yet determined an exact origin or cause.[11] The Boulder County Sheriff's Office also confirmed that deputies have received tips and executed a search warrant regarding the source of the fire.[12][13]

Initial reports stated that the Marshall Fire may have been caused by downed power lines,[2] but a survey conducted by Xcel Energy found no downed power lines in the area where the fire started.[14] A later news report showed that the source of the Marshall Fire may have been a burning shed at Hwy. 93 and 170, rather than downed power lines.[15] The structure was owned by Twelve Tribes, a fringe Christian sect founded in the 1970s.[16] Three weeks after the fire, underground fires in abandoned coal mines also emerged as a possible source.[17][18]

Spread of fire[]

The Marshall Fire was first reported to 911 on 30 December 2021 at the intersection of Colorado 93 and Marshall Road around 11:00 AM. The first firefighting unit was present on the scene within 4 minutes after the dispatch. The initial responding unit was not able to identify the fire location for 9 minutes after arrival. Once the fire location was identified by the unit, high winds had already started to rapidly spread the fire. Three minutes after finding the fire, it was determined out of control and additional units were called to assist. At 11:44 the fire chief called for reverse 911 call to order evacuation of residents 2 miles downwind of the fire. By noon the fire had reached the town of Superior, three miles to the east, prompting people to escape the stores there.[19] Within another hour the first evacuations had been ordered of tens of thousands of people starting with the town of Superior and later the cities of Louisville, Broomfield, and unincorporated Boulder County.[2][20] Wind gusts of 115 miles per hour (185 km/h) were reported,[21] and the fire extent was an estimated 1,600 acres (650 ha) by 5:00 p.m. and had increased to 6,200 acres (2,500 ha) by 10:00 a.m. on December 31.[10]

On the night of December 31 – January 1, heavy snowfall put an end to the fire.[22]

Evacuations[]

Evacuation orders were issued for Louisville, Superior, and portions of Broomfield. Other portions of Broomfield, along with portions of Lafayette, Arvada, and Westminster were issued pre-evacuation orders.[23]

Impact[]

As of the evening of January 1, 2022, an estimated 1084 structures, including houses, a hotel and at least one shopping center, had burned as a result of the rapidly spreading Marshall Fire, and another 149 damaged.[24][25] Less than 12 hours after igniting, the fire surpassed the 2013 Black Forest Fire as the state's most destructive in terms of structures lost. In response to the fires, Governor Jared Polis declared a state of emergency around 3:15 p.m. MST on the day of the outbreak and ordered a ground delay at Denver International Airport.[2][3]

The Colorado Department of Transportation closed multiple lanes and roadways as a result of crashes and the fires themselves; U.S. Route 36 was closed in both directions from Boulder to Broomfield and a portion of Colorado State Highway 470 was closed entirely near Morrison.[10] Safety warnings were also issued for travelers on a stretch of Interstate 70 between Golden and Georgetown and Colorado State Highway 93 was temporarily closed for 40 minutes in the late morning.[10]

Victims[]

Six burn injuries were confirmed in Boulder County.[10][2] The remains of a man from Marshall area were found on January 5. A woman from Superior is still missing and is presumed dead.[26] The man from Marshall who perished was identified as Robert Sharpe, 69. The missing woman is Nadine Turnbull, 91.[27][28]

Gallery[]

Media related to Marshall Fire at Wikimedia Commons

  • Pots and pans seen in the remains of a home burned from the fire the night after.

  • Front porch of a home burned by the fire.

  • Large plumes of smoke are visible over Superior around 2:00 PM MST on December 30. View from State Highway 128, looking north.

Middle Fork Fire[]

The Middle Fork Fire was reported about a half hour before the Marshall Fire around 10:30 a.m., on 30 December 2021. It was contained that day[29] and no structures were burned.[30]

Recovery[]

For those affected by the fires, Colorado Chamber President and CEO Loren Furman announced that the Colorado Chamber was united to help members and all local businesses and residents impacted by the fire. The Northwest Chamber Alliance created a website that centralized resources for businesses for federal and state aid, local resources, and donation information.[31]

U.S. president Joe Biden responded to the fires by permitting the Federal Emergency Management Agency to assist.[5]

See also[]

References[]

  1. ^ "https://kdvr.com/news/local/more-than-1000-homes-destroyed-in-marshall-fire-valued-at-over-500-million/amp/". {{cite web}}: External link in |title= (help); Missing or empty |url= (help)
  2. ^ a b c d e "As many as 600 homes lost, 6 people injured as Marshall fire quickly spreads across Boulder County". The Colorado Sun. Boulder, Colorado. December 30, 2021. Retrieved January 1, 2022.
  3. ^ a b "Colorado brushfires lead to evacuations; state of emergency declared". FOX10 Phoenix. December 30, 2021. Retrieved December 31, 2021.
  4. ^ "CU President and officials give update on Marshall and Middle Fork fires". CU Independent. December 31, 2021.
  5. ^ a b "President Joe Biden Approves FEMA After Colorado Wildfires, 3 Presumed Dead". The Blast. January 2, 2022. Retrieved January 2, 2022.
  6. ^ "Climate change, new construction mean more ruinous fires". RochesterFirst. January 2, 2022. Retrieved January 3, 2022.
  7. ^ Bellisle, Martha (January 2, 2022). "Climate change, new construction mean more ruinous fires". AP News. Archived from the original on January 2, 2022. Retrieved January 2, 2022.
  8. ^ Hern, Elizabeth; Ehern, Ez | (December 31, 2021). "Marshall fire may have destroyed 1,000 homes in Boulder County, officials say". The Denver Post. Retrieved January 2, 2022.
  9. ^ Stein, Lee (December 31, 2021). "Marshall fire explained: How we got 115 mph winds in Boulder County on a December winter day". The Denver Post.
  10. ^ a b c d e Hassan, Carma; Andes, Natalie (December 31, 2021). "Marshall Fire grew to 6,200 acres overnight, official says". CNN. Retrieved December 31, 2021.
  11. ^ "Boulder County investigators narrow Marshall fire's origin to single neighborhood". January 2, 2022. Retrieved January 2, 2022.
  12. ^ Peterson, Brittany; Garcia, Eugene (January 2, 2022). "Officials: Nearly 1K structures destroyed in Colorado fire". AP News. Archived from the original on January 1, 2022. Retrieved January 2, 2022.
  13. ^ Sallinger, Marc (January 1, 2022). "Deputies execute search warrant in investigation of Marshall Fire". 9News. Retrieved January 2, 2022.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  14. ^ "Update on Cause of Fire Investigation". December 31, 2021. Retrieved December 31, 2021.
  15. ^ "Could this burning shed be the source of the Marshall Fire?". January 1, 2022.
  16. ^ Penney, Joe Wertz,Veronica. "We now know lightning didn't spark the Marshall fire, but not much else is publicly known about the investigation". Colorado Public Radio. Retrieved January 26, 2022.
  17. ^ "Marshall Fire investigators look at underground coal mines as possible cause". FOX31 Denver. January 22, 2022. Archived from the original on January 22, 2022. Retrieved January 22, 2022.
  18. ^ "Underground coal fire being investigated as a potential source of ignition in fast-moving, destructive Marshall Fire". KUSA.com. January 21, 2011. Retrieved January 22, 2022.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  19. ^ "The minute-by-minute story of the Marshall fire's wind-fueled tear through Boulder County". The Colorado Sun. January 6, 2022. Retrieved January 7, 2022.
  20. ^ "WATCH LIVE: Entire towns of Superior and Louisville ordered to evacuate due to multiple grass fires". KUSA (TV). December 30, 2021. Retrieved December 31, 2021.
  21. ^ "Tens of thousands of residents in Colorado told to evacuate due to wildfires driven by wind gusts as high as 115 mph". CNN. Retrieved December 31, 2021.
  22. ^ Sullivan, Becky (January 1, 2022). "Snow puts out Colorado wildfires with 3 people missing and nearly 1,000 homes burned". NPR. Retrieved January 2, 2022.
  23. ^ Powell, Erin (December 30, 2021). "Polis declares state of emergency for Boulder fires". NBC 9 News. Retrieved December 30, 2021.
  24. ^ "Boulder County releases updated list of structures damaged and destroyed in the Marshall Fire". Boulder County. Retrieved January 9, 2022.
  25. ^ "Boulder County Sheriff releases preliminary list of structures damaged in the Marshall Fire". Boulder County Colorado.
  26. ^ Bradbury, Shelly (January 2, 2022). "One of three people missing after Marshall fire is found alive". The Denver Post.
  27. ^ Case, Angela (January 5, 2022). "Remains found in search for person missing in Marshall Fire". KUSA.com. Retrieved January 6, 2022.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  28. ^ "Marshall Fire victim identified as 69-year-old man". January 7, 2022.
  29. ^ "Press Briefing Summary – 12/30". Boulder Office of Emergency Management. December 30, 2021.
  30. ^ Byars, Mitchell (December 31, 2021). "Middle Fork Fire under control, crews working on mop-up". Daily Camera.
  31. ^ "Colorado Chamber supports local businesses impacted by Marshall, Middle Fork Fire". FOX21 News Colorado. January 4, 2022. Retrieved January 6, 2022.
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