In 2021, the devastating Marshall fire showed wildfire can strike Colorado in almost any place or season. Scientists now hope to glean lessons from it for communities across the West.
Marshall Fire
Posted inWildfire
A year after the Marshall fire, community is scattered as people try to move home or move on
Fewer than 170 building permits have been issued for more than 1,000 burned homes. Empty lots are sitting for months on the market. Families are in limbo.
Posted inOpinion Columns
Zornio: One year after the Marshall fire, there’s a lot to be thankful for
The Marshall fire revealed a new normal as climate change reshapes our state, but the past year has proved that Coloradans are resilient.
Posted inColoradans
2022 Year in Photos: From the Marshall fire to Club Q shooting, here’s what happened this year
The more we see those diverse, rich, challenging and soul-swelling worlds, the better we can understand our state and our neighbors.
Posted inOpinion Columns
Opinion: We can’t poison our way to wildfire resistance
Yet Boulder County continues to spray harmful chemicals to kill a grass that isn’t responsible for fire.
Posted inOpinion, Opinion Columns
Zornio: Why are Marshall fire victims more worthy of help than the chronically homeless?
It’s been nearly six weeks since I moved into my new house after being displaced by the Marshall fire. It’s not home yet, but it does have the most important elements: Four walls, a roof and appliances to keep me safe, dry and warm. Settling into my new house would not have been possible without […]
Posted inOpinion
Zornio: Colorado renters need better protections and more enforcement
The Colorado Department of Local Affairs has taken a blunt approach to defining its role in assisting renters with landlord troubles: On a mostly empty webpage, five words direct you to a non-government phone number with subsequent bold text that reads, “The Colorado Division of Housing does not enforce any housing codes nor mediate landlord/tenant […]
Posted inNews
“Our history is gone”: Four families, 6 months after the Marshall fire
Wearing other people’s clothes and living in apartments that feel empty, families displaced by the Marshall fire have started over from nothing. It’s been six months since the wind-whipped fire skipped through Boulder County, burning about 1,000 homes in Superior and Louisville. Since then, winter has turned to summer, and thousands still are in limbo, […]
Posted inGrowth, Health, News, Politics and Government, Wildfire
Colorado passed new laws intended to help tenants. But those affected by the Marshall fire say they’re not working.
Before the Marshall fire burned about 1,000 homes in Louisville and Superior and rained potentially toxic ash on hundreds of others, Colorado strengthened laws for tenants doing battle with landlords. One law change in 2020 prohibited price gouging, including for rent, after a disaster. Another recent legislative update said landlords have 24 hours to address […]
Posted inOpinion
Zornio: Fourth of July fireworks shows should be banned in Colorado
For dozens of Colorado cities, honoring America’s 246th birthday means celebrating with a bang. But given the state’s increased fire risk, declining air and water quality and mental health concerns, should taxpayers really keep footing the bill for risky fireworks? At least eight Colorado cities have determined the risk is too high and have already […]