By: Joseph Rios
Temperatures throughout the state are beginning to increase as the summer kicks into high gear. And with the rise in temperature comes a rise in risk of wildfires. But in Boulder County, some community members are still trying to recover from a fire that swept through the area toward the end of last year.
The Marshall Fire burned through more than 6,000 acres toward the end of last year, destroyed 1,091 structures, and damaged 179 others. It is the most destructive fire in Colorado history and killed at least two people.
It’s been five months since the Marshall Fire changed lives in Boulder County, and recovery efforts throughout the region are continuing. But thanks to a $29 million reward from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), help is on the way to Boulder County.
In May, the agency approved more than $29 million in additional public assistance funding for debris removal in the county. The funds were made possible because of a major disaster declaration issued by President Joe Biden on Dec. 31, 2021. FEMA’s public assistance program provides funds to government agencies and some nonprofit organizations for disaster response costs and to repair or replace damaged public buildings. For the Boulder County funding, FEMA is providing a 90 percent federal cost share while state and local entities will be responsible for the remaining costs, according to a release.
Around $26.9 million of the funding will be used in Boulder County for private property debris removal work that will be done by the county or its contractors. Removal will take place in Louisville, Superior and unincorporated Boulder County. FEMA says the debris removal work was approved because of health and safety threats caused by debris.
The remaining funds, which total around $2.8 million, will be dispersed to the Colorado Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management to hire debris removal monitors to review debris removal efforts and to provide technical support to the county during the removal process, the release reads.
Recently, a groundbreaking took place in Louisville for the rebuild of a home that was damaged in the fire at a lot on Larkspur Lane. The company in charge of the rebuild, Wood Brothers, is also planning to rebuild around 20 other homes in the surrounding neighborhood.
Some cities and counties in Colorado are working to address the risk of urban wildfires after seeing the devastating impact the Marshall Fire had. Castle Pines City Council adopted a new wildfire mitigation plan that details suggestions homeowners can take to protect their homes for wildfires. The plan was developed in partnership with South Metro Fire Rescue and encourages homeowners to remove all juniper trees from their property, clean out gutters regularly to remove dead and dry needles, leaves and debris, and to sign up for their county’s notification system.
Fore more information about the Marshall Fire and for resources for those impacted by it, visit https://www.bouldercounty.org/disasters/wildfires/marshall/#housing.
