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Boulder County Public Health has retired the air monitors dedicated to the Marshall fire area after nearly a year.
Shortly after the Marshall fire, the health department positioned air monitors in fire-damaged areas and surrounding communities to track air quality and provide instant information to the public about air quality conditions, including at the schools near the burn areas. The air monitors, supporting website and air quality alert system ended on Tuesday.
Since the website’s launch, 1,643 residents subscribed to receive real-time alerts via text or email when conditions became potentially harmful and 4,520 notifications were sent.
The health department was initially concerned about the impacts to air quality caused by demolition and debris removal.
“Public Health has closely observed the data from these monitors over the past year and has seen very few instances when poor air quality in the Marshall fire burn area could be attributed to the aftermath of the fire,” Air Quality Coordinator Bill Hayes said in a release.
Communications Manager Shawn Hollister said via email that in the few instances where air quality levels moved from moderate to unhealthy for sensitive populations, it was only for a brief period and at a few locations.
“(Boulder County Public Health) concluded that these incidents were isolated events related to debris removal activities and immediately contacted the debris removal contractor to ensure that dust-control measures were properly implemented,” Hollister said.
Widespread events of increased airborne particulate matter at these monitoring sites were comparable to the rest of the county, common during the late summer and especially during periods of wildfire smoke.
Following the fire, the health department anticipated widespread resuspension of ash and other debris on windy days and during debris removal activities, according to Hollister. He explained that the fewer than expected instances of poor air quality were likely due to the precipitation soon after the fire and strict dust-control measures during debris removal.
Hollister added that the health department will begin a more thorough analysis of the data with the monitoring ending. He said that public inquiries, complaints and concerns about outdoor air quality have returned to pre-Marshall fire levels.
Air monitors will continue to be maintained at the schools in Louisville and Superior, with the data to be displayed on the Love My Air website until it is transitioned to the district's website.
