December 30, 2024

Warning issued, precautions urged on Marshall Fire anniversary

Image of home destroyed in Marshall Fire.
A chimney was all that remained of a Boulder County home after the Marshall Fire. Glenn Asakawa/CU Boulder.
By

BOULDER COUNTY — On the third anniversary of the deadly Marshall Fire, a similar combination of low humidity, unseasonably warm temperatures and high winds has prompted the National Weather Service to issue a red-flag warning for areas below 6,000 feet in Boulder County and emergency services to go on high alert.

Whipped by hurricane-force gusts, the Dec. 30, 2021, blaze burned 1,084 buildings in densely populated areas in Superior, Louisville and unincorporated Boulder County, took two lives and forced 37,000 people to evacuate. Three years later, about two-thirds of the destroyed homes have been rebuilt.

Although the warning is for areas below 6,000 feet, open burning is not allowed anywhere in Boulder County all day on Monday. Wind is expected to be between 30 and 40 miles per hour with gusts up to 60 mph.

A news release from the Town of Superior on Sunday advised area residents and businesses to take the following precautions:

  • Make sure you’re signed up to receive emergency alerts through BOCO Alert or ReachWell and have a preparedness plan ready.
  • Avoid any outdoor activity that could produce a spark or flame.
  • Know how you would evacuate and what items you would take with you.
  • If you see, hear, smell or sense that something may be dangerous take action to keep yourself safe.
  • Avoid travel if possible — blowing dust and debris can cause roadway hazards.
  • Secure loose items and/or move unsecured or lightweight objects such as decorations and patio furniture indoors.

The following tools and systems are in place and have been used in wildfire detection and response:

  • Wildfire-detection cameras are in place and have been working to support responders in keeping situational awareness related to monitoring fire speed, growth and direction of spread which help first responders with a speedy response.
  • Developed by area fire departments and used on days with higher fire danger, indices-based dispatching has been working and allows firefighters to get fires under control faster by sending more personnel and fire trucks to the scene.
  • First responders who arrive on scene can authorize emergency alerts and evacuation orders to be sent, which helps get alerts to residents and businesses faster.
  • Responders have been planning and training for getting alerts out quickly, managing traffic and working together to make sure evacuation decisions are made in a coordinated environment to support the communities in the event that you have to evacuate.

More information is online from the National weather Service and the Boulder Office of Disaster Management. In Superior, anyone noticing any damage to town property or travel hazards on town roads or property is asked to report it via Superior Click Fix or by calling 911 if it is an emergency situation.

In Louisville, a citywide fire-hardening building code went into effect on Dec. 10, impacting new construction and commercial buildings as well as existing homeowners who are making certain home improvements.

According to the City of Louisville website, “the new regulations apply to all residential and commercial structures, including new structures, additions to existing structures, and replacement of building materials when regulated by the building code. Exceptions may be granted by the Building Official on a case-by-case basis for historic homes.”

On Friday, Boulder County announced it has approved distribution of more than $2.1 million in Strategic Fuels Mitigation Grants, which are funded by the county’s Wildfire Mitigation Tax, approved by voters in November 2022.

Eight grants were approved for funding, including:

  • The Boulder Watershed Collective: $513,000 for the Porter Ranch Fuels Mitigation Project.
  • Cal-Wood Education Center: $132,250 for the Cal-Wood Forest Fuels Reduction Project.
  • Four Mile Fire Protection District: $9,800 for the Eagles Drive Phase 2 Project.
  • Kenosha Farms HOA: $17,500 for Grasslands Fuels Mitigation,  Town of Superior, and $142,954 for cool season goat grazing on grasslands open space.
  • The Watershed Center: $610,000 for the Conifer Hill Forest Management Project, $312,000 for the Meadow Mountain Forest Management Project and $390,000 for the Meeker Park 2 Forest Management Project.

“This funding will help Cal-Wood Education Center complete much-needed forest fuels mitigation projects by reducing hazardous fuels and promoting forest and watershed health,” Angie Bugsby, the center’s resource manager, said in a prepared statement. “Youth and community education is also a key component of these projects. We are excited to get to work in 2025.”

Leslie Clark, the Town of Superior’s parks, open space and recreation director, added, “This valuable support will enable our community to implement essential projects that reduce wildfire risk and protect our residents and natural spaces. Together, we are fostering a safer and more resilient future for Superior and the surrounding area.”

The next grant cycle will open to applicants in April.

On the third anniversary of the deadly Marshall Fire, a similar combination of low humidity, unseasonably warm temperatures and high winds has prompted the National Weather Service to issue a red-flag warning for areas below 6,000 feet in Boulder County and emergency services to go on high alert.

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With BizWest since 2012 and in Colorado since 1979, Dallas worked at the Longmont Times-Call, Colorado Springs Gazette, Denver Post and Public News Service. A Missouri native and Mizzou School of Journalism grad, Dallas started as a sports writer and outdoor columnist at the St. Charles (Mo.) Banner-News, then went to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch before fleeing the heat and humidity for the Rockies. He especially loves covering our mountain communities.
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