Three people are feared dead from the devastating Marshall Fire that swept through Louisville and Superior last week and Centura-Avista Adventist Hospital remains closed due to extensive smoke damage.
Boulder County Sheriff Joe Pelle told reporters Saturday that he expects three people reported missing from fire will become recovery cases and that cadaver dogs will be activated Sunday.
Two of the missing people are from Superior and one is from the Marshall area, Pelle said.
Pelle also said that search and recovery efforts have been hampered by the eight inches of snow that fell in the area. “I suspected we would have loss of life based on the size of the fire” and its speed and voracity, he said.
The fire tore through Superior and Louisville Thursday afternoon stoked by high winds and dry conditions. The fire scorched 6,200 acres and is now 62% contained.
Pelle said the estimated number of damaged structures is 991, with 127 structures damaged.
The cause of the fire is under investigation but a search warrant has been issued for one property. Pelle declined to go into details.
Centura spokesman Kevin Massey also said via email Saturday that Centura-Avista Adventist Hospital in Louisville continues to be closed due to heavy smoke damage.
“There are no care services available at the hospital at this time,” Massey said in a news release. “Patients who are in need of immediate care should go to the nearest hospital to receive services…”
