Posted inOpinion, Opinion Columns

Zornio: Marshall fire insurance analysis proves every homeowner needs to check their policy

With the cost of real estate soaring, breaking into Colorado’s housing market can feel like a dream come true. But if disaster strikes, owning a home can quickly turn into a financial nightmare. In Boulder County, many residents are learning this the hard way.  After the most destructive blaze in the state’s history, hundreds of […]

Posted inEnvironment, News, Politics and Government, Wildfire

Majority of homeowners trying to rebuild after the Marshall fire may be massively underinsured, analysis finds

As many as two-thirds of those who lost homes in the Marshall fire lack enough insurance to fully cover their rebuilding costs, according to a new analysis by the Colorado Division of Insurance. The division has been looking at claims from 61 different insurance companies related to the Marshall fire, which destroyed more than 1,000 […]

Posted inNews

“An incredible frustration”: Boulder County fire officials have long sought better wildfire escape routes

Fire chief Michael Schmitt is bumping down an unpaved road west of Boulder, barely wide enough for his SUV. He’s headed toward the dead end of County Road 83, where — behind a metal gate, behind tree trunks blackened in the Fourmile Canyon fire — a narrow dirt road is cut into the mountainside.   If […]

Posted inNews

Boulder County officials propose fire-resistant requirements for homes in eastern grassy plains

New homes in eastern Boulder County would be required to meet tougher fire-resistant construction requirements under proposed changes sparked by the disastrous Marshall fire. Members of Boulder County’s Board of Review outlined their plan at a public meeting Wednesday, focusing on the grassy flatlands of the county that have not seen many devastating wildfires but […]

Posted inHousing, News, Wildfire

Louisville allows Marshall fire victims to rebuild under older, less-stringent codes

LOUISVILLE — The Louisville City Council voted Tuesday night in favor of allowing residents whose homes were significantly damaged or destroyed in the Marshall fire, Colorado’s most destructive wildfire, to rebuild under less-stringent environmental standards. The council voted 5-2 to allow affected residents to rebuild under the city’s 2018 codes instead of the 2021 codes. […]

Posted inOpinion, Opinion Columns

State Rep. Amabile and Sens. Fenberg and Rankin: Filing a wildfire insurance claim shouldn’t be another trauma

Many Coloradans who lost their homes and all of their personal belongings in fire disasters are living another nightmare as they seek reimbursement from their homeowner’s insurance policies. Most of these folks chose policies based on what their mortgage holder required and insurance agent recommended. They paid their premiums in good faith, some for decades. […]

Posted inOpinion, Opinion Columns

State Reps. Holtorf, Pelton, Will and Catlin: The Republican plan for wildfire relief

In January, the Marshall fire swept through Boulder County destroying more than 1,000 homes and displacing the lives of thousands of Coloradans. While this disaster brought national attention to the threat of wildfires destroying homes, property, and lives, the people of Colorado are not strangers to the hazards of uncontrolled fires. For years, rural Coloradans […]

Posted inOpinion, Opinion Columns

Opinion: Federal investments in science are needed to reduce wildfire

It used to be that October marked the end of wildfire season, and the most destructive fires occurred in or around forested areas. But increasingly, more Americans experience the impacts of wildfires year-round.  In 2021, nearly 50,000 wildfires were reported, which burned over  seven million acres of land. And as we saw with the Marshall […]