#MarshallFire: Major fire burning in Boulder County

Boulder OEM:

Two #MarshallFire news briefings will be held today, Sunday, Jan. 2, 2022.

At 12 p.m., Deanne Criswell, Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), and Colorado Gov. Jared Polis will hold a news briefing at the Boulder County Sheriff’s Headquarters (in-person for news media only).

At 2 p.m., Boulder County Sheriff Joe Pelle and other local officials will hold a news briefing (in-person for news media only).

Both briefings will be livestreamed for the public on the Boulder Office of Emergency Management Facebook page, and later posted to YouTube.

ALERTA PARA LOS MEDIOS DE COMUNICACIÓN: El domingo 2 de enero de 2022 se llevarán a cabo dos reuniones informativas de #MarshallFire

Ambas sesiones informativas serán en persona solo para los medios de prensa y comunicación.
Condado de Boulder, Colorado - Hoy, domingo 2 de enero de 2022, se llevarán a cabo dos reuniones informativas de #MarshallFire.

A las 12 p.m., Deanne Criswell, Administradora de la Agencia Federal para el Manejo de Emergencias (FEMA) y el gobernador de Colorado, Jared Polis, ofrecerán una rueda de prensa en la sede del Sheriff del condado de Boulder (en persona solo para los medios de prensa y comunicación).
A las 2 p.m., el Sheriff del condado de Boulder, Joe Pelle, y otros funcionarios locales realizarán una sesión informativa (en persona solo para los medios de prensa y comunicación).
Ambas sesiones informativas serán en persona solo para los medios de prensa y comunicación. Dirección: Sede del [DM1] [DM2] [PM3] [DM4] Sheriff, 5600 Flatiron Parkway, Boulder, CO 80301
Ambas sesiones se transmitirán en vivo para el público en la página de Facebook de la Oficina de Manejo de Emergencias de Boulder y luego se publicarán en YouTube.

Additional updates for re-entry of evacuated Marshall Fire residents – Jan. 2, 2022

Boulder County, Colo. - Beginning on January 2, 2022 at 12 p.m., additional residents within the Marshall Fire area will be allowed to return to their homes. There are no changes to evacuation status in unincorporated Boulder County.

• If your home is in a hard closure area, you will not be allowed to return home at this time. Areas included in the hard closure are listed below.
• If your home is within a soft closure area, an ID will be required for re-entry. Areas included in the soft closure are listed below. Please be patient as lines could be long at the checkpoints.

Officials continue to assess conditions in communities to allow re-entry of residents as soon as it is safe. There are still several areas of concern within the fire area, and it will take time for firefighters to methodically secure each structure to ensure the area is safe for re-entry. Firefighters are reporting flareups and rekindling of structures that had previously burned. Fire weakened structures can collapse without warning and pose serious threat to public safety.

It is also important to remember that fire may have changed the environment around your home and community; please be cautious when returning to your home and neighborhood. Be prepared to see your community changed in ways that you do not expect and take time if you need it. Here are some additional things to consider when returning home:

• Only residents with addresses within a soft closure area are allowed to enter the area. Residents should return to their homes and stay on their property. Do not wander into other areas of the fire or into areas that remain under a hard closure.
• Hard closures are open to emergency personnel only and should not be entered on foot, bicycle, or by any other means. Members of the public who enter these hard closure areas are hampering fire and recovery operations and, as a result, it will take longer for fire and response operations to be completed and additional areas to be opened.
• Vehicles that are parked along roadways can impede operations and may be impounded.
• When returning home or traveling through the fire area, residents are asked to slow their speeds and be alert to incident personnel working in the area and hazards such as weakened trees and structures.
  
• Residents are asked to limit driving to daylight hours only, to go directly to their homes, and remain in and around their home.
• There is no potable water in the affected area so residents should be prepared to bring bottled water with them for all water needs, including for pets. Never use water you think may be contaminated to wash dishes, brush teeth, prepare food, wash hands, make ice or baby formula.
• Power, gas, and water may not be restored by the time you are allowed to re-enter. Please do not call 911 or utility companies. They are working as quickly as they can to restore utilities.
• With the power outages, food in your refrigerator and freezer may be contaminated or spoiled. Dispose of any food that has been exposed to smoke, soot or heat or has thawed. Dumpsters will be placed in central locations for food disposal. Please do not use personal trash cans.
• As residents return to the fire area, if there are signs that suspicious activity has occurred, please call the Tipline at 303-441-3674. If suspicious activity is occurring, please call 911 or the non-emergency line at 303-441-4444.

Closure Changes*

Town of Superior Soft Closure

South Pitkin Avenue
East Gill Way
East Heartstrong Street
South Elbert Court
Vernon Lane
Campo Way
Masters Court
Eldorado Circle
Edison Place
South Indiana Street from Rock Creek Parkway to Eldorado Circle/Drive Intersection
Eldorado Drive remains closed, no access

* All other areas not listed above or not previously moved to soft closure remain in hard closure. Please reference the PIO Map at www.boulderoem.com/emergency-status/

Deputies execute search warrant in investigation of Marshall Fire
Boulder County Sheriff Joe Pelle confirmed the video of the barn on fire is part of the investigation into the cause of the Marshall Fire.
Author: Marc Sallinger (9 News)
Published: 11:32 PM MST January 1, 2022

BOULDER, Colo. — As investigators work to determine the cause of the Marshall Fire, the Boulder County Sheriff’s Office (BCSO) confirms deputies conducted a search warrant at a property they believe could be connected to the start.

In the immediate aftermath of the fire, reports of downed power lines were examined as a potential ignition source. Pelle said that theory is looking more unlikely as the investigation continues.

There were multiple reports of downed power lines on the day of the fire. The sheriff believes people were reporting telecom lines that had fallen, not power lines. He said it’s unlikely those would cause a fire.

"We’re looking into the cause and origin of the fire. If it turns out to be arson or reckless behavior with fire, we’ll take appropriate actions," said Pelle. "It was a red flag day the day of the fire, so there shouldn’t have been any burning."

Marshall Fire Update from Incident Management Team – Jan. 1, 2022

Current Situation, Safety, Weather & Fuel Conditions and More

Boulder County, Colo. - Below is a summary from the Incident Management Team.

Special Note: The Rocky Mountain Area Type 1 Incident Management Team assumed command of the fire at 6 a.m. on Saturday, January 1, 2022. The Incident Management Team is working closely with county and local authorities to support ongoing firefighting and urgent recovery operations.

Current Situation:
The Marshall Fire is 6,219 acres and 62% of the perimeter has been contained. Approximately 200 fire personnel plus Team Rubicon, Xcel Energy, numerous law enforcement agencies, Division of Fire Prevention and Control, and Colorado National Guard are currently working on the fire and recovery efforts. The primary objective for managing this fire is public and firefighter safety while minimizing impacts to structures and repopulating communities as soon as conditions are safe to do so.

Crews are working throughout the fire area to remove any remaining areas of heat along the fire perimeter, secure structures, and ensure that the area is safe for damage assessment teams and utility crews to continue with their work. Fire personnel will continue to support these important operations as well as respond to any possible increased fire activity.

Areas of significant heat still exists around some of the impacted structures. These heat sources can flare up and may be visible especially at night. It will take firefighters some time to methodically go around each structure to ensure that they are out and pose no hazard to the fire perimeter or adjacent unburned structures.

Safety: As assessments are completed, evacuation status is updated to allow those residents to return home. Only areas that have been deemed safe are opened for re-entry. Entry into these areas is limited to residents living in that particular area. Parking and walking into areas that have not been cleared slows this process down and diverts resources from their mission which will make the clearance process take longer and can hinder response to new emergencies. Please be patient as we work to get areas open as quickly as possible and please respect the closures.

Weather & Fuel Conditions: Temperatures will begin to warm starting Sunday with highs in the upper 30s to low 40s over the next several days. Wind direction will vary but will remain from 5-17 mph. Some areas of the fire may continue produce smoke from smoldering vegetation and debris.

Evacuations and Fire Restrictions: For the latest information about evacuation status, visit www.boulderoem.com/emergency-status/ . For information on fire restrictions in Boulder County, please visit www.bouldercounty.org/news/stage-1-fire-...vember-30-clarified/ .

Temporary Flight Restrictions (TFR): A TFR is in place over the Marshall Fire. Wildfires are a No Drone Zone. If you fly, we can’t. Whenever a drone is spotted near the fire all aircraft are grounded until we can be sure the drone is clear of the area. For more information, visit knowbeforeyoufly.org .

Marshall Fire Statistics:
Size: 6,219 acres
Containment: 62%
Total Personnel: 200 plus
Location: Boulder County, CO
Reported: December 30, 2021
Cause: Under investigation

Boulder County Sheriff releases preliminary list of structures damaged in the Marshall Fire

List contains initial data as Sheriff’s investigators work with damage assessment teams

January 1, 2022

Boulder County, Colo. - Damage assessment teams have compiled a preliminary list* of structures destroyed or damaged in the Marshall Fire. It is anticipated that more structures may be added to this list as more detailed damage assessment is completed and teams inspect additional areas impacted by the fire.

Sheriff’s investigators are working with damage assessment teams to appropriately ascertain the level of damage. Winter weather is currently impacting that work.

The current numbers of destroyed or damages structures in other parts of Boulder County are:

• City of Louisville: 553 destroyed, 45 damaged
• Town of Superior: 332 destroyed, 60 damaged (numbers are estimated due to groupings of structures and new construction)
• Unincorporated Boulder County: 106 destroyed, 22 damaged

Totals confirmed to date countywide are 991 structures destroyed and 127 structures damaged.

Boulder County is making the preliminary list available in order for impacted residents to get information as quickly as possible. The City of Louisville is in the process of creating a map of destroyed or damaged structures in the municipal limits of Louisville. The map will be available at www.louisvilleco.gov/marshallfire

To self-report a damaged or destroyed structure that is not included on this preliminary list, please visit www.boco.org/MarshallFireSelfReport

The Sheriff’s office, City of Louisville, and Town of Superior are working on plans to open up neighborhoods as safety allows.

Resources for residents:

• For questions, to report missing people, or to report non-emergency issues, the Boulder County Call Center can be reached at 303-413-7730.
• Those seeking mental health support related to the fire are encouraged to visit www.boco.org/WildfireMentalHealth for resources.
• If you need to talk to someone immediately or need help navigating services, please call Colorado Crisis Services at 1-844-493-8255 or text "TALK" to 38255.
• Residents can also call the Victim Advocate line at 303-441-3656.
• The Disability and Disaster Hotline can be reached at: 800-626-4959 (call/text)

*Note: This preliminary list represents a partial and incomplete list as of 2 p.m. on Jan. 1, 2022. Damage assessment is visual and may change upon closer inspection and structural assessment. Damage assessment investigations within the fire perimeter are ongoing and will continue over the next week.

View more at www.BoulderOEM.com .
Visit us at: www.BoulderSheriff.org
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Boulder OEM 21hrs ago:
Safe clean up after a fire
Keep in mind that masks used to protect yourself from COVID-19 are not suitable for fire cleaning; N-95 ventilators must be used. If you’re using combustion heaters to prevent pipes from freezing in a house that has no electricity, you should be protected from carbon monoxide poisoning. Make sure the carbon monoxide detectors are installed and working properly and following the manufacturer's instructions for ventilation.

Boulder OEM 2hr
Louisville residents: For information on city-specific Marshall fire info, please go to: louisvilleco.gov/marshallfire and sign up for email updates.

Summary of Wildfire Emergency Information (By Topic)
Road Closure Updates Here
Trail Closure Updates Here