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 […]
Marshall Fire
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 […]
Posted inMarshall Fire
After-action report finds numerous shortcomings in Marshall fire emergency communications
Despite communication barriers, about 37,500 people fled the area in about three to four hours, according to an after-action report which called the effort “unprecedented.”
Posted inClimate, Environment, Growth, News, Wildfire
1 million Colorado buildings are threatened by wildfire. The risk is highest in suburban counties.
Colorado faces the largest increase in homes and businesses threatened by wildfire of any state in the nation with nearly 1 million properties — two-fifths of all those in the state — already facing some risk, according to a new analysis. The First Street Foundation wildfire risk modeling ranked Colorado No. 7 in the country […]
Posted inNews, Wildfire
Boulder County commissioners adopt fire-resistant requirements for homes on eastern grassy plains
Newly constructed homes in the eastern flatlands of unincorporated Boulder County must meet stricter fire-resistant requirements after Boulder County commissioners voted to approve changes to the county’s building code Thursday. Commissioners unanimously voted to adopt amendments that aimed to protect homes from fire in the grassy plains of the county that have not seen many […]
Posted inWildfire
Democrats abandon their pursuit of wildfire building code as Colorado’s 2022 legislative session ends
There are already dozens of pending bills being held up by Republican stall tactics on the last day of session.
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 […]