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 […]
Marshall Fire
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 inNews, Wildfire
Lawsuit alleges Xcel Energy power line sparked Marshall fire
The first lawsuit filed in connection with the Marshall fire, which destroyed over 1,000 homes and other buildings in Boulder County, claims that sparks from a power line started December’s blaze. The lawsuit filed Thursday against Xcel Energy says that its power lines and equipment were a “substantial factor” in the cause, origin and continuation […]
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 […]
Posted inNews, Wildfire
Louisville burned down Dec. 30. The city manager started the next day.
LOUISVILLE — Jeffrey Durbin was a private citizen living in a fifth floor apartment in Denver when he looked through his windows and saw smoke rising to the north. The next morning, he showed up at 7:30 a.m. for his first day as city manager in Louisville — ground zero of the Marshall fire. “I’ve […]