The investigation continues into the cause of the 6,000-acre Marshall fire that destroyed or damaged nearly 1,000 structures in Louisville and Superior on Thursday. Officials originally thought downed power lines caused the fire that was stoked by powerful winds reaching up to 100 mph.
Power lines were later discovered not to be the source and investigators are now zeroing on other sources. A search warrant was issued for one building in the fire zone area but Boulder County Sheriff Joe Pelle has declined to go into any further details on the investigation.
“Something ignited that fire on a red flag day and our quest is to determine what started that fire,” Pelle told reporters Sunday in a new conference. “But I don’t want to go down a rabbit hole in speculation.”
Pelle said his office is receiving help from state, local and federal agencies to determine the cause of the blaze, which led to the evacuation of Louisville and Superior. Pelle said an online video of a shed at Marshall Road and State Highway 93 being ablaze in the early stages of the fire is being examined as are other potential starting points.
“So much is at stake, we are going to be careful, we are going to be professional,” he said.
Two people are still missing after the blaze - a woman in Superior and a man from Marshall, Pelle said.
Work continues to safely restore power to homes and businesses left without power, officials said Sunday.
Earlier on Sunday, Colorado Gov. Jared Polis and FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell toured the burn area with other Colorado lawmakers.
The scene was “surreral,” Polis told reporters. Some areas were still smoldering even though they were covered by snow, he said.
The Small Business Administration is offering $200,000 loans for residents in Superior and Louisville with property damage, Polis said. Residents can apply for those loans and get more information at https://www.ii.org.
Boulder County on Monday is opening a Disaster Assistance Center to help people who lost homes in or were displaced by the fire with a range of services. The services include property loss and filing claims for assistance, financial and food assistance, mental health supports, transportation and other issues.
The Boulder County Disaster Assistance Center is located in the Boulder County Southeast County Hub at 1755 South Public Road in Lafayette. It will operate from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., seven days a week, according to a Boulder County news release.
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